S-t* Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ammonia, acetic acid and water. He found the composition as 

 follows : — 



Carbon 44i'14 



Hydrogen 6*30 



Oxygen 4<9'56 



He, moreover, found that they were converted into dextrine by sul- 

 phuric acid ; into xyloidine, without the production of any colour, by 

 nitric acid ; thus they consisted of pure cellulose, containing traces 

 merely of silica. 



Baumhauer concludes from his experiments, that the perisperm of 

 the above nuts is not, as Payen supposes, pure cellulose mixed with 

 albumen, two nitrogenous bodies, two fatty matters, silica and salts, 

 but that another substance is still present, which has a somewhat 

 different composition to that of cellulose. He proceeded in his ex- 

 periments in a similar manner to that of Payen. The seed-coats 

 were separated from the brown rind by a file, then powdered by 

 using a finer file and sifting, and exhausted by aether, alcohol and 

 boiling water. The remaining powder, which contained neither 

 nitrogen nor ash, yielded in three analyses — 



I. II. III. 



Carbon 44'28 44-44- 44--39 



Hydrogen 6-32 6-13 6*22 



Oxygen 49*40 49-43 49'39 



It was now repeatedly boiled with strong acetic acid, washed with 

 hot water and alcohol, dried at a temperature of 284°-302°, and 

 again analysed. It gave — 



Carbon 43-57 



Hydrogen 6-27 



Oxygen 50-16 



The powder obtained in the first experiment yielded to ammo- 

 nia a brown matter, precipitable by acetate of lead ; the residue, 

 after repeatedly washing with water, acetic acid and alcohol, was 

 of a yellow colour. It was dried at 284°-302°, and burnt with 

 oxide of copper (L). Two other portions were treated for a consi- 

 derable length of time with dilute solution of soda, and after washing, 

 &c., also analysed (II. III.) ; they yielded — 



I. 11. III. 



Carbon 43*65 45-73 45*59 



Hydrogen 6-31 6*32 6*57 



Oxygen 50-04 57*95 47*84 



After partial evaporation, acetic acid threw down brown flocks from 

 the soda solution. Ammonia and acetate of lead caused a whitish- 

 yellow precipitate in the solution. 



To separate the two substances, Baumhauer digested the powder of 

 the seed-shells for several days in cold concentrated solution of pot- 

 ash ; after dilution with water, the powder was separated by filtra- 

 tion, washed with hot water, and the whole operation repeated as 

 long as the potash dissolved anything. The residue was finally ex- 

 hausted with hot concentrated acetic acid, alcohol and aether. 

 The ingredient in solution was separated by saturating the alco- 



