Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 139 



contain many documents and much information connected with 

 Newton's life and pursuits that are now highly interesting, and not 

 generally known. The announcement, therefore, that the MSS. are 

 now " placed in the hands of an eminent person," with a view to 

 their publication, will be hailed with satisfaction by every friend of 

 science and admirer of Newton, provided they are to be published in 

 an authentic and unmutilated form. But as considerable feeling has 

 already been displayed in connection with this subject, it would be 

 far more satisfactory if the selection were made by a committee of 

 competent persons, acting under the authority of a scientific body, 

 and not left to the discretion of any individual, however eminent, 

 especially as the original documents are not accessible to those 

 who desire to investigate for themselves. Government, it has 

 been stated, some time ago, expressed a willingness to print 

 them at the public expense. It is greatly to be regretted that this 

 proposal was not agreed to. Controverted points in the history of 

 science cannot be set at rest, nor will the reputation of Newton be 

 consulted, by the publication of extracts, however copious and impar- 

 tially made. The MSS. form a voluminous mass j it is not, therefore, 

 to be expected that they will be printed entire - } but, on the other 

 hand, it will be a just subject of national reproach if the corre- 

 spondence of the most illustrious individual whoever adornedour coun- 

 try is garbled for the purposes of a bookmaking speculation. A. B. 

 —Morn. Chron. June 21, 1837. 



Sir Isaac Newton s Manuscripts. — [From a Correspondent.] An er- 

 roneous statement having found its way into the newspapers, respect- 

 ing the purchase of Sir Isaac Newton's MSS. by the Royal Society, 

 we are authorized to state that it has no foundation whatever. In conse- 

 quence of Sir David Brewster being at present engaged in a large work 

 on the life, writings, and discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton, he was 

 kindly permitted by the trustees of the Earl of Portsmouth to examine 

 the valuable collection of MSS. at Hursbourne Park. With the as- 

 sistance of H. A. W. Fellowes, Esq., the accomplished nephew of 

 Lord Portsmouth, many interesting and important letters and papers 

 were discovered, which not only throw much new light on the early 

 life and studies of our immortal countryman, but tend to refute the 

 groundless rumours respecting a temporary derangement of his mind 

 in 1 692, and to exalt, in the highest degree, his moral and intellectual 

 character. — lb. June 27. 



ANALYSIS OF CITRIC .ETHER. BY M. MALAGUTI. 



The process recommended to obtain this aether is the following : 

 take 90 parts of crystallized citric acid, 110 of alcohol of sp. gr. 

 0*814, and 50 of concentrated sulphuric acid. Put the citric acid, 

 powdered, and alcohol into a tubulated retort, then add the sulphu- 

 ric acid in small portions. Heat the mixture gradually to ebullition, 

 and stop the process, when a very sensible disengagement of sul- 

 phuric aether occurs, which happens when about one third of the 

 volume of the alcohol employed is distilled ; the residue is to b e 

 removed from the retort, and twice its volume of distilled water is 

 to be added to it ; an oily matter almost instantaneously collects at 



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