392 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



duct. A small portion of the carbonate of ammonia will be found 

 along the beak of the retort, but for the most part, it is taken up by 

 the water. The addition of a few drops of a solution of sulphate of 

 copper to the fluid, strikes a blue colour instantly, thus denoting the 

 presence of ammonia. On examining the residuary matter in the re- 

 tort, it is found to be strong sulphuric acid." Dr. M. concludes with 

 observing, " 1 know of no other rationale of this process, and think 

 it quite satisfactory. Of one thing, however, I am certain, and that 

 is, that no other method that I have employed, yields the gas in 

 question, so pure, and with so little trouble. It is therefore confidently 

 recommended to all operators in chemistry." — Sillimaris Journal, 

 vol. xxv. p. 344. 



ANALYSIS OF THE BRAIN. 



According to M. Couerbe, the brain, when examined with a pow- 

 erful microscope, appears to be composed of globules which are 

 slightly elliptical, and are larger in the grey substance than in the 

 while. These globules are coagulable by acids, like those of milk 

 and the blood, and by a great number of other substances. 



M. Couerbe finds in the brain : 



1st. A pulverulent yellow fat, ste'aroconote. 



2nd. An elastic yellow fat, ce'rance'phalote. 



3rd. A reddish yellow oil, e'leancephol. 



4th. A white fatty matter, cerebrote. 



5th. Cholestrine, choleste'rote. 



Added to these are the salts found by Vauquelin, lactic acid, sulphur, 

 and phosphorus, which form a part of the fats above named. 



Before the brain was submitted to various kinds of treatment, it was 

 deprived of its membranous covering and washed with cold water, in 

 order to separate, as nearly as possible, all the blood with which it is 

 always impregnated : it was then malaxated and digested in cold 

 aether, and all that was soluble in this fluid was dissolved by macera- 

 tion in repeated portions of it. The first contained but little of the 

 fatty matter in solution; the aether appeared merely to expel the 

 moisture of the brain, and they were separated together by decantation. 

 The second portion of aether was very rich in fatty matter, and contained 

 but slight traces of moisture : four macerations in aether are almost 

 always sufficient to dissolve all the fatty portions of the brain. After 

 treatment with aether, the brain was subjected to the action of boiling 

 alcohol of sp. gr. 0*8 1 7 : the boiling solutions were filtered every time, 

 and the boiling was repeated until they gave no precipitate on cool- 

 ing; there then remained a mere agglomerated fibrous mass, which 

 M. Couerbe calls nevriline. 



The alcoholic solutions were mixed when cold, and filtered to se- 

 parate the deposit, which was washed with cold 3ether, in order to se- 

 parate the fat soluble in this liquid : this is susceptible of crystallizing, 

 and perfectly similar to that which is found in the aethereal solution, 

 and which is choleste'rote. 



The powder obtained from the alcohol is very white and pure : it 

 becomes slightly translucid by drying, and has then the appearance of 



