Chemical Science, 219 



parts of France, and also in the manufacture of cenise, as at pre- 

 sent carried on in Holland. — Aim, de I' Industrie, i. 78. 



84. Infusible Crucible. — M. Deyeux has manufactured crucibles 

 surpassing: even those from Saxony in their infusibility. MM. The- 

 nard, Lassagne, and Baruel testify to their superiority. 2ilbs. of 

 pure iron has been fused in one at once, without the crucible suf- 

 fering any injury. The manufactory is at Mouchy Saint Eloy, 

 department de I'Oise ; but the depot is at Paris, Rue Garanciere, 

 No. 7. — Jnn. de Chimie, xxxvii. 443. 



Pure iron has often been fused in Cornish crucibles, at the iron 

 works, without the vessels suffering injury, but perhaps not in so 

 large a quantity as that above, merely because there was no occa- 

 sion for it. The power of retaining fused iron, though a test of 

 goodness, is not a sufficient test of superiority. — Ed. 



35. Sugar of Liquorice — Glycyrrhiza glabra. — ^The peculiar 

 principle in the root of this plant has been long known. Dobe- 

 runer and Robiquet have given processes for its separation. The 

 following is by M. Berze»lius. The cut root is to be infused in 

 boiling water ; the cold filtered infusion is to have sulphuric acid 

 added in small quantities, until no further precipitate is formed. The 

 precipitate is a compound of the acid with the saccharine matter, 

 and is to be washed at first with acidulated cold water, and then 

 with pure water, until no free acid appears. The precipitate is to 

 be digested with alcohol, which leaves certain impurities, and then 

 pulverized carbonate of potash or soda is to be added to the solu- 

 tion, until it is neutral ; the clear liquor is to be decanted and 

 evaporated. It is desirable to have a small excess of acid present, 

 for which purpose put a little of the alcoholic liquor on one side, to 

 be added at last to the neutral portion, and then leave the whole at 

 rest, that the sulphate of potash may separate before the evapora- 

 tion is effected. 



The saccharine principle is a transparent yellow mass breaking like 

 amber. Being heated it melts, and burns with a bright flame and 

 much smoke. In powder it burns like resin or lycopodium. It 

 does not change in the air. Its aqueous solution is precipitated by 

 all the acidsy and the more completely the stronger is the solution. 

 The precipitates have no acid taste, but are sweet ; they dissolve 

 in water, and gelatinize upon cooling, if the solutions are strong. 



This substance also combines readily with bases forming soluble 

 neutral solutions ; those with baryta and lime are not precipitated 

 by carbonic acid. This principle forms insoluble compounds with 

 metallic acids and many metallic oxides. It combines also with 

 many salts, causing their precipitation in some cases. 



The saccharine principle of the root of the wild liquorice (poly- 

 podium vulgarej is altogether different in its qualities from the 

 above substance. 



