292 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



3. Experiments have been made with chloride of gold on all the vegetable 

 alkaloids in the subjoined list, not one of which gives any precipitate at all 

 with this test ; therefore it will serve to discriminate strychnine from those 

 other alkaloids a point of considerable importance in the investigation of 

 poisons : 1, Salacine ; 2, quinine ; 3, cinchonine ; 4, codeine ; 5, inuline ; 

 6, lupuline; 7, veratrine; 8, picrotoxine; 9, solanine; 10, atropine; 11, 

 delphine. 



4. With regard to the delicacy of this test, six drops of a saturated solu- 

 tion of strychnine in alcohol, in which, however, it is not very soluble, even 

 at a boiling heat, added to twenty minims of liquid, showed a slight yellow 

 precipitate upon standing for some tune. 



5. Another good test of strychnine is obtained, as is well known, by 

 adding a few drops of sulphuric acid to bichromate of potash. When this is 

 added to a solution of strychnine, it produces no precipitate, but forms a pale 

 blue liquid, that seems very characteristic of strychnine. 



On the Detection of Strychnine in the Presence of Antimony. Mr. C. W. 

 Bingley, of Sheffield, in a communication to the Chemical Gazette, states 

 that the characteristic reactions of strychnine in the presence of sulphuric 

 acid and bichromate of potash are neutralized and prevented by the presence 

 of tartarized antimony, or chloride of antimony. 



A NEW GUN COTTON. 



A correspondent of the American Journal of Pharmacjr (Mr. Caldwell) 

 describes a new kind of gun cotton, which is made as follows : Newly pre- 

 pared gun cotton is placed in a saturated solution of chlorate of potash, and 

 allowed to remain for fifteen minutes. It is then gently pressed between folds 

 of clean linen rag, and dried over a heat of 150 degrees. The cotton thus pre- 

 pared explodes much quicker, and more like fulminating silver, than the 

 ordinary gun cotton. From some experimental shots the result was as follows. 

 A pistol loaded with nine grains by weight, of the ordinaiy cotton, sent a ball 

 about half through a yellow pine door one inch thick, at the distance of twenty 

 feet. It was then fired with two grains of the cotton, treated with chlorate 

 of potash, when the pistol was shattered to pieces. Another pistol was loaded 

 with one grain of the cotton, when the bah 1 passed entirely through the door, 

 making a perfectly smooth perforation. 



RECENT PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



Mr. Dennison, of England, a member of the agricultural jury of the great 

 Paris exhibition, in concluding his report on the same, thus sketches the 

 recent progress of agricultural science in Great Britain during the last five 

 years: 



In speaking of the progress of agricultural chemistry, the name of Mr. Lawes 

 must be placed by English farmers in the first place of honor. Without 

 entering on the high controversy between Baron Liebig and Mr. Lawes, lately 

 revived with increased animation, the English farmers have wisely accepted 

 the teaching of Mr. Lawes, based on experiments, on the care and accuracy of 

 which full reliance may be placed, and the results of which are open to the 



