346 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



It is not improbable that the oxygen of the air introduced into the economy 

 by the phenomena of respiration and retained condensed or modified by the 

 globules of the blood, in the presence of an alkaline matter, is found in it, at 

 least in part, in the state of ozone, like oxygen dissolved in essence of tur- 

 pentine, and consequently in a state to produce the same phenomena of 

 oxidation. These views arc supported by some experiments made with per- 

 manganate of potash, the oxygen of which being disengaged by sulphuric 

 acid, presents the properties of ozone, even at a low temperature, and the 

 latter investigations of Schonbein relative to the property presented by the 

 juice of certain champignons to transform oxygen into ozone. 



" If we now wish to examine these facts so as to explain the results which 

 I have obtained," says M. Luca, "we should be tempted to imagine that 

 the oxygen which is disengaged from the leaves of plants by the action of 

 light contains ozone, or that the air which surrounds plants is partially ozon- 

 ized, and that this ozone, although in small quantity, produces the oxida- 

 tion of the nitrogen of the air to form nitric acid in the same wav that ozone 



ml 



artificial!}^ prepared, produces nitrates with the alkalies. The question of the 

 absorption of nitrogen by plants would consequently be reduced to a pure 

 and simple absorption of a nitrogenous compound, such as nitrate or carbon- 

 ate of ammonia, this carbonate being formed in the atmosphere, and the 

 nitrate being produced under the influence of vegetation. But the above 

 facts are not sufficiently numerous to render them indisputable facts. They 

 require repetition under different conditions, and longer and unremittcd study. 

 Comptes Rendus. 



Action of the Oxides of Nitrogen upon Iodide, of Potassium and Starch. 

 M. Bechamp states that, 



1. The ozonomctric paper is not rendered blue by pure dilute nitric acid, 

 but that it is colored by acid containing nitrous acid. 



2. Nitric acid and hydriodic acid do not react in cold solution. 



3. Iodide of potassium reduces nitrous acid to nitric oxide 



4. Carbonic acid docs not displace nitrous acid from nitrate of potash. 



5. Nitrous oxide and nitric oxide do not liberate iodine from iodide of 

 potassium. 



Observations on Ozone in Canada. At the Montreal meeting of the 

 American Association, Mr. Chas. Smallwood presented the result of nearly 

 six thousand ozone observations, including a sei'ies taken during 1854, the 

 cholera year. These observations were made at his residence, at St Mar- 

 tins, in Canada. This place is situated one hundred and eighteen feet above 

 the level of the sea, about nine miles due west of Montreal, and about the 

 centre of the island of Jesus, which is surrounded by the two branches of 

 the Ottawa. 



The method of observing ozone, was by the ozonomcter, consisting of 

 slips of paper wetted with a solution of starch, and iodide of potassium, in 

 the proportion of one drachm of starch to one ounce of water, with ten 

 grains of iodide of potassium. This must be kept dry and free from light 

 till wanted, when it was to be exposed to the light, but excluded from the 

 sun's rays. The amount of ozone in the atmosphere was estimated in 



