193 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



combustion, leaving a bulky charcoal, which ultimately burns 

 away. 



The saturating power of salicia is very small. 



All the salts, except the acetate, crystallize in needles, frequently 

 representing vegetation. The acetate assumes the granular state. 

 Many of them effloresce ; their taste is generally bitter. 



The salicia was obtained by dissolving salicine in a solution of 

 oxalic acid ; this acid was then separated by lime, &c. &c. 



The acid part of ordinary salicine was then separated by treating 

 it with phosphoric acid at a moderate temperature. This acid body 

 is volatile, and may be obtained by distillation. It has all the pro- 

 perties of a sub-acid, and is the cause of the aroma of salicine, for pure 

 salicia has no odour of the kind. Pure salicia has no advantages 

 over ordinary salicine *. 



23. ON DRACONINE. 



M. Melandri announced the existence of a vegeto-alkali in dragon's 

 blood, which he called draconia. M. Herberger has obtained this 

 substance in a state of purity, and states that it has no claim to be 

 thus ranked, but that it possesses the properties of a sub-acid, and 

 should be classed with tannin, &c. &c. 



Dragon's blood consists of fatty matter 2.0 



oxalate of lime. . . 1.6 

 phosphate of lime. 3.7 



benzoic acid 3.0 



draconine 90. 7t 



24. PRECIPITATION OF MORPHIA FROM LAUDANUM. DR. HARE. 

 ' I believe it is not generally known that the addition of ammoniated 

 alcohol to common laudanum will cause a crystalline precipitate of 

 morphia in the course of a few hours. If the precipitate thus ob- 

 tained be dissolved in acetic acid, again precipitated by ammonia, 

 and afterwards collected and dried upon a filter, the morphia will be 

 obtained nearly white, and may be rendered perfectly so by repeat- 

 ing the solution by acetic acid and precipitation by ammonia. I have 

 by these means obtained thirty grains of morphia from an ounce of 

 opium. 



' Instead of alcohol impregnated with ammonical gas, a mixture in 

 equal parts of strong aqua ammoniaB and common alcohol will 

 answer. 



4 Narcotin is, I find, sometimes spontaneously precipitated in a 

 crystalline form, from a solution of opium in proof spirit. The circum- 

 stances under which I procured it are nearly these: a quarter of a 

 pound of opium was boiled in a quart of proof spirit, and strained, 

 while warm, through a coarse cotton cloth ; the solution thus 

 obtained being allowed to stand for about twenty-four hours, crystals 

 were observed to be spontaneously deposited on the sides of the con- 

 taining glass jar. These being dissolved in acetic acid, on the ad- 

 * Journ, do Pharmacie, 1831, 225. t Ibid. 



