Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 565 



Like the previously described compounds, phospham is a white 

 powder, insipid and insoluble in common solvents ; it also yields, 

 when fused with potash, common phosphate and ammonia. 



In concluding, M. Gerhardt asserts that no phosphuret of nitrogen 

 is formed, as stated by M. Liebig, by the action of ammonia on per- 

 chloride of phosphorus, the result of their action containing 1*5 per 

 cent, of hydrogen ; and that no such compound as hydrate of phos- 

 phuret of nitrogen exists. — Journ. de Pharm., Septembre 1846. 



ON ALOETINE. BY M. EDMOND ROBIQUET. 



The author states that M. Chevallier has shown that Socotrine 

 aloes contain a great number of substances foreign to its composi- 

 tion, and which renders its purification a long process. The speci- 

 men which M. Chevallier examined contained about, in 100 parts- 

 Pure aloes 85-00 



Ulmate of potash 2-00 



Sulphate of lime 2*00 



Carbonate of potash ~J 



Carbonate of lime > traces. 



Phosphate of lime J 



Gallic acid 0-25 



Albumen 8'00 



97'25 



In order to obtain aloetine, or the pure juice of aloes, the aloes 

 reduced to fine powder was exhausted with distilled water, in order 

 that, of all the salts which it contains, the filtered liquor should con- 

 tain only ulmate of potash, and a small quantity of sulphate of lime 

 and carbonate of potash. This solution was evaporated by the water- 

 bath till it had lost half its weight, and an excess of acetate of lead 

 was then added to it. A light flocculent precipitate was formed, 

 which was a mixture of gallate, ulmate, and albuminate of lead, con- 

 taining traces of carbonate and sulphate of lead. 



The solution, besides the juice of aloes, contained acetate of pot- 

 ash and acetate of lime, formed by double decomposition, with 

 excess of acetate of lead ; a sufficient quantity of ammonia was added 

 to it ; the oxide of lead precipitated carried with it all the aloes con- 

 tained in the solution, and thus formed a kind of lake of a rather 

 pure orange colour, becoming of a greenish yellow by a few minutes' 

 exposure to solar light. This lake, quickly separated and washed 

 with boiling water, was decomposed out of the contact of the air by 

 a current of sulphuretted hydrogen. This operation being finished, 

 the sulphuret of lead was covered by a stratum of a perfectly colour- 

 less liquid, which, carefully decanted and evaporated in vacuo, 

 yielded no trace of crystals, and merely dried into a kind of scaly 

 varnish of a very light yellow colour. The prqduct thus prepared 

 was employed by M. Robiquet to examine whether it contained 

 nitrogen, and for analysis by means of oxide of copper : and in order 



