120 Fragments on Egyptian Literature, 



nothing,'"as I am not aware that a copy has been taken, and I 

 have had no opportunity of examining the original. From 

 the sketch given in the Transactions of the Royal Society of 

 Literature, it would appear to be votive ; and I have little 

 doubt that it contains, at least, an allusion to the Egyptian 

 victories of the Roman general^ who is represented as kneeling 

 before the sun and the god of war. It is to be hoped, that a 

 copy of this interesting inscription will be given to the public 

 in the next Number of the Collection of " Hieroglyphics," if 

 not at an earlier period. 



E H . 



K hy February 22, 1830. 



Effects of Animal Charcoal on Solutions. By Thomas Graham, 

 A.M., F.R.S.E., Lecturer on Chemistry, Glasgow, 



The property of withdrawing matters from a state of solution, 

 possessed by the charcoal of bone-black, has been investigated 

 in the case of soluble colouring matters of a vegetable and 

 animal origin. It is known, that the discolouring faculty re- 

 sides entirely in the charcoal, for the earthy matters and 

 portions of azote combined with it, possess by themselves no 

 such power, and the charcoal discolours without them. This 

 property is also greatly exalted by the state of extreme division 

 and porosity of animal charcoal, arising from the interposition 

 of foreign particles of earthy and saline matter between the 

 particles of carbonaceous matter in bonC; which effectually 

 prevents the aggregation of the carbon during calcination. 

 The bright, hard charcoal from the calcination of dried blood 

 has no discolouring power ; but the charcoal from the calci- 

 nation of dried blood, mixed with carbonate of potash, as in the 

 manufacture of prussiate of potash, proves the most efficient 

 discolouring form of charcoal we possess, after the alkaline car- 

 bonate is washed out. A very intense heat, however, destroys 

 entirely the discolouring power of bone-black. 



The colouring matters are not destroyed or decomposed by 

 the charcoal, but merely withdrawn from a state of solution, 

 in combination with the surface of the charcoal, and may be 

 again dissolved out and made to appear by the action of a 

 more powerful solvent. 



