382 Foreign and Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



of light has been observed ; at first this was supposed to be the case 

 with all gases ; but M. Soissy, of Lyons, stated, that it happened only 

 with oxygen, air, and chlorine, a result which has been confirmed by 

 M. Thenard. The latter philosopher, on reflecting that the pistons 

 used had been greased, thought the light might perhaps be due to 

 the formation of a little water, or muriatic acid, in these cases ; and 

 therefore repeated the experiments with pistons moistened only with 

 water, and then found that no light was evolved. 



He then made other experiments on the inflammation of various 

 substances in compressed oxygen, chlorine, &c. We are constrained 

 to omit the detail of these, but the following are the conclusions to 

 the paper: 1. No gas becomes luminous of itself by pressure 

 exerted in the ordinary manner in cylinders by pistons. 2. The 

 highest pressure which can be given by the hand to gas in a tube of 

 glass raises the temperature much above 400 F. Powders which are 

 not decomposed at this temperature explode instantly in azote, hydro- 

 gen or carbonic acid gas, suddenly compressed. 3. Paper and wood 

 inflame in oxygen suddenly compressed, and oiled paper inflames in 

 the same manner in chlorine. 4. If the gases be compressed more 

 forcibly and suddenly, they would doubtless attain a much higher 

 temperature ; but it is not probable that they would of themselves 

 become luminous, except at very high temperatures*. 



8. ON OXAMIDE, A SUBSTANCE WHICH APPROXIMATES TO 

 SOME ANIMAL BODIES. (M. DumasJ) 



This substance is produced whenever oxalate of ammonia is distilled, 

 and the name oxamide, or oxalamide, is given to it provisionally, 

 as indicating that it is formed of oxalic acid and ammonia, and by 

 particular treatment can reproduce these bodies. When acted upon 

 by potash, it yields 36 per cent, of ammonia, though it contains 

 none ; by the same treatment it can produce 82 per cent, of oxalic 

 acid, and yet includes none of that body. These curious properties 

 associate oxamide with the phenomena which occur when animal 

 substances are made to yield ammonia by the action of alkalies, and 

 also with those new observations due to MM. Vauquelin and Gay 

 Lussac, on the developement of oxalic acid, when organic matters 

 are acted upon by potassa. 



When oxalate of ammonia is distilled, it first loses water ; the 

 crystals become opaque ; then, where close to the heat, fuse, boil, 

 are decomposed, and disappear without any change occurring in the 

 more distant parts of the mass. Ultimately, a little carbon remains, 

 but nearly the whole has been volatilized. The water which has 

 passed over into the receiver contains a flocculent substance ; a thick 

 deposit of a dull white matter also lines the neck of the retort ; both 

 these are oxamide. To isolate it, the whole is diffused in water, 

 filtered, and washed, the peculiar substance remains in the filter. 

 100 parts of the oxalate of ammonia yield 4 or 5 of oxamide; the 



* Ann. de Chimie, xliv., 181 





