154 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



effervescence ceases, it is slightly decolorized, and is converted into 

 a new substance, the opianic acid, previously obtained by MM. 

 Liebig and Wcehler in their experiments on the oxidizement of nar- 

 cotina. 



Strychnia. — This treated like the preceding yields a pulverulent 

 mass of a brownish yellow colour, very slightly soluble in boiling 

 water, but imparts to it a dirty yellow colour and a bitter taste ; it is 

 very slightly soluble in alcohol, but soluble in aether, and also in 

 boiling water acidulated with sulphuric acid ; and from this the greater 

 part precipitates on cooling. 



Potash is the best solvent of this substance ; the solution has a 

 brown colour, and if only the exact quantity of potash required for 

 solution be employed, the solution does not act on syrup of violets. 

 When sulphuric acid is added to the solution, so as to give it an acid 

 reaction, it becomes turbid, and deposits a yellowish flocky precipi- 

 tate. The neutralized alkaline solution, when perfectly neutralized, 

 does not act upon cupreous or ferruginous salts, but it precipitates 

 the salts of lead and silver. 



This substance is worthy of the attention of chemists ; the remark- 

 able manner in which it acts with potash, appearing to saturate it 

 perfectly, will perhaps lead to its being considered as a new acid. 



Brucia. — By the action of nascent oxygen on this alkali two co- 

 louring matters are obtained ; one which is soluble in boiling alcohol, 

 to which it gives a yellowish-red colour ; this will be described as 

 A ; the other, B, is insoluble in boiling alcohol, but when diluted 

 with an equal volume of water it is then dissolved readily ; the re- 

 sulting solution has a fine red colour. 



A. This is a brown, uncrystallizable substance ; it has a very bitter 

 taste, and is very little soluble in aether, but is dissolved by boiling 

 alcohol; distilled water dissolves it and acquires a yellowish-red 

 colour ; it is soluble in concentrated nitric acid, and produces as fine 

 a colour as brucia ; sulphuric acid also dissolves it, but more slowly ; 

 and the solution has also a very fine red colour ; hydrochloric and 

 acetic acids and potash also dissolve it very well, but the solutions 

 have a yellow colour. 



B. This substance, like the preceding, is uncrystallizable ; its taste 

 is bitter, and when in mass it is black, but in thin portions its colour 

 is red ; it is insoluble in aether and in boiling alcohol, but dissolves 

 very well in the latter when diluted with water ; it is soluble in di- 

 stilled water, to which it imparts a fine wine-red colour, which acids 

 brighten slightly, whilst potash renders it brownish and subacetate 

 of lead yellow. 



ITie concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids dissolve this substance, 

 and so does potash, the solutions acquiring a yellowish-red colour of 

 less or greater intensity. — Journ. de Chim. Medicate, Jxiillet 1844. 



ON THE HYDRURET OF COPPER. BY M. AD. WURTZ. 

 The author remarks that the only well-authenticated metallic hy- 

 drurets hitherto described are those of arsenic, antimony and potas- 

 sium. 



