D. CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY. gf 



PHENOMENA ASSOCIATED WITH A HYDROGEN FLAME. 



In an article upon certain phenomena associated with a 

 hydrogen flame, communicated to Nature by Mr. William F. 

 Barrett, the results of a series of experiments are summed 

 up as follows : 1. That the combustion of hydrogen exhibits 

 some physical peculiarities, and produces phosphorescence on 

 many substances with which it comes in contact. 2. That 

 the blueness so often seen in a hydrogen flame is due to the 

 presence of sulphur, derived either from the vulcanized rub- 

 ber tubing, or from atmospheric dust, or from the decomposi- 

 tion of the sulphuric acid spray from the generator. 3. That 

 a flame of hydrogen forms an exceedingly delicate reagent 

 for the detection of sulphur or phosphorus, and possibly also 

 of tin. 4. That many sulphates, and also carbonic acid, are 

 apparently decomposed by a hydrogen flame. 5. That a hy- 

 drogen flame is, further, a test for the presence of some gases, 

 notably carbonic acid. 6. That these results are capable of 

 practical application. 12 A, April 18, 1872, 484. 



REACTIONS OF ALCOHOL. 



Mr. Hugo Tamra, in a brief abstract of certain experiments 

 upon the action of permanganate of potash upon various sub- 

 stances, such as filter-paper, tartaric acid, coal gas, tallow, tur- 

 pentine, benzole, alcohol, ammonia, etc., states that the two 

 most interesting facts which he found were that alcohol boiled 

 with an equal bulk of a solution of permanganate of potash 

 was partially transformed into acetate of potash, and that in 

 the same condition ammonia was converted into nitrate of 

 potash. 1 A, January 19, 1872, 20. 



CLASSIFICATION OF ODORS. 



Dr. Ludwig, of Jena, presented to the convention of phar- 

 maceutists, lately assembled at that city, a classification of 

 odors, which he proposed for the purpose of fixing the ideas 

 of persons engaged in chemical investigations. Of these he 

 enumerated twenty-two kinds, some of them with subdivi- 

 sions, as follows: 



1. The garlic odor, as manifested by combination of arsenic 

 and phosphorus. The colorless vapor of arsenious acid does 

 not exhibit this characteristic ; but if this be thrown on de- 



