Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 321 



a solution of anhydrous ammonia in absolute alcohol a salt was ob- 

 tained, but it did not possess the properties of carbovinate of am- 

 monia. They then tried the action of dry carbonic acid on a solu- 

 tion of potash which had been heated to redness, in absolute alcohol. 

 As the operation is attended with the evolution of heat, it is neces- 

 sary that it should proceed slowly and the vessel be kept cold in 

 which it is conducted. The crystalline substance formed by this 

 action soon becomes so abundant as to solidify the solution ; a 

 volume of anhydrous aether equal to that of the solution must then 

 be added, and thrown upon a filter. By washing the product with 

 anhydrous aether there remains a mixture of carbonate, bicarbonate, 

 and carbovinate of potash. To separate the last salt the mixture 

 must be washed with absolute alcohol, which dissolves it, and anhy- 

 drous aether added to the filtered solution, which reprecipitates it. 

 This liquor immediately filtered and dried in vacuo affords pure car- 

 bovinate of potash. The analysis of this salt indicates exactly the 

 following formula : 



KO, OO; OH*, C«6f, HO. 



This salt is in shining scales. It decomposes by heat into car- 

 bonic acid, an inflammable gas, an eethereal fluid, carbonate of 

 potash, and charcoal. Dissolved in water it is rapidly converted 

 into bicarbonate of potash. Dissolved in weak alcohol, or even if 

 it contains only slight traces of water it suffers the same decompo- 

 sition, and deposits the bicarbonate in shining plates resembling the 

 carbovinate, consisting, however, of 



KO, C*0*j HO, c«w 



This rapid and easy conversion of carbovinate into bicarbonate 

 of potash affords but slight hopes of the possibility of isolating the 

 acid, but it is evident that such an acid does exist ; and its pro- 

 perties may be interesting as relative to the theory of fermentation. 

 —V Institute April 19, 1837. 



CONVERSION OF IRON INTO PLUMBAGO BY SEA-WATER. 



M. Deslongchamps has found lying near La Hogue, where the 

 naval battle was fought, some cannon balls, which although they do 

 not appear externally to have undergone any change, yet have lost 

 two-thirds of their weight and may be cut with a knife like a black- 

 lead pencil : they contain no iron in the metallic state, and exert 

 no influence on the magnetic needle. — Jour, de Chim. Med. Fevr. 

 1837. 



ON A COMBINATION OF THE ANHYDROUS SULPHURIC AND SUL- 

 PHUROUS ACIDS. 



By treating anhydrous sulphuric acid by gaseous sulphurous acid 

 also anhydrous, M. Henri Rose has obtained a liquid possessing an 

 odour resembling sulphurous acid, and which completely volatilizes 

 by exposure to the atmosphere, with the evolution of powerful fumes. 

 This liquid is a compound of the anhydrous sulphuric and sulphurous 



Third Series. Vol. 11. No. 67. Sept. 1837. 2 T 



