444 Miscellaneous Intelligence, 



remains, however, in solution ; the liquid, therefore, must be evapo- 

 rated, the residue dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid, and the filtered 

 solution precipitated by an alkaline carbonate. The precipitate is 

 also corydalia. 



This principle forms colourless, prismatic, or scaly crystals, vi^ith- 

 out taste or smell ; very little soluble in water ; soluble in alcohol, 

 and then acting on agents as an alkali ; neutralizing acids, and 

 forming saline compound of extreme bitterness. — Kastners Archives, 

 viii. 417. 



Guarania is another of those substances described by M. Martius. 

 He obtained it from the fruit of the Paullinia Sorbilis. The fruit 

 is to be digested in hot alcohol ; as the alcoholic solution cools, it 

 deposits a fat oil, which is to be separated : it (query ? the alcoholic 

 solution or the fatty matter ?) is again to be heated, and the Guarania 

 will sublime. To obtain it quite pure, the sublimation must be re- 

 peated. This substance is white, crystalline, and has a penetrating 

 odour when heated : it readily dissolves in alcohol ; with more diffi- 

 culty in water ; the solutions have a bitter taste, and act like an 

 alkali on alcoholic tincture of roses, and litmus paper. The aqueous 

 solution precipitates the solutions of nitrate of silver, proto-nitrate 

 of mercury, and the acetate and sub-acetate of lead. — Kastner^s 

 Archives, viii. 266. — Bull. Univ. A. x. 170. 



29. Amylic Acid, a New Compound of Carbon and Oxygen. — 

 This acid has been discovered and described by M. Tiinnermann. 

 Equal parts of starch and black oxide of manganese are to be well 

 mixed, and put into a retort, so as to fill one fourth of it, and then 

 a third equal part of water added, and made to moisten the mass 

 equally. A receiver, with a safety tube, is to be connected with the 

 retort, and then heat applied until the mixture is nearly at the boiling 

 point ; 3 parts of muriatic acid being at the same time added by 

 degrees through a feeding tube. Much effervescence is occasioned ; 

 and when the substance in the body of the retort is nearly dry, the 

 distillation is to be stopped, that no impure matter may distil over. 

 The product is impure amylic acid, scarcely coloured, and, though 

 containing no hydrocyanic acid, having a strong odour of bitter 

 almonds. To free it from mixed muriatic acid, the hquid is to be satu- 

 rated with carbonate of lime, filtered, evaporated till a peUicle forms, 

 then allowed to cool and crystallize, and when the crystals of amy- 

 late of lime have been separated, the mother liquor is to be further 

 concentrated. The crude amylate obtained is to be purified by 

 further crj'stallization, until it does not precipitate nitrate of silver. 

 Then mixing 100 parts of these crystals with 73 of sulphuric acid 

 diluted with twice its weight of water, and distilling nearly to dryness, 

 an aqueous solution of amylic acid is obtained. 



This acid is sour, reddens vegetable blues, readily evaporates by 

 heat, produces a sharp odour resembling hydrocyanic acid ; and 

 combines with bases to form neutral salts, most of which are deli- 

 quescent, all of which are readily soluble. Some of its salts con- 



