78 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



pitate, which soon becomes black, and sulphuret and sulphate of 

 silver are produced. The salts of mercury and platina are precipi- 

 tated black by this acid ; and it will be observed that it acts on the 

 different salts in the same way as hyposulphate of potash. 



Nitric acid reacts instantaneously on concentrated hyposulphu- 

 rous acid, nitric oxide is evolved, sulphur is deposited and the solu- 

 tion contains sulphuric acid. The action of chloric acid is not less 

 remarkable than that of nitric acid ; the decomposition of both 

 acids occurs instantaneously, with tumultuous action ; sulphur and 

 chlorine evidently appear, and reagents show the presence of sul- 

 phuric acid in the solution : the phenomena are similar to those ob- 

 served when chloric acid is dropped into alcohol or aether. In this 

 latter case as in those also happens inflammation of the excess of the 

 combustible body. L'Institut, No. 327. 



ON THE PRESENCE OF IODINE IN COD OIL. BY R. F. MARCHAND. 



The different statements of chemists with regard to the presence 

 of iodine in cod oil (Leberthrane) appear to have arisen from the cir- 

 cumstance of those who have not found it having examined impure 

 oil. Cod oil was examined by a chemist of this place which had 

 been received direct from Bergen, without his having succeeded in 

 detecting any iodine in it. 



As in all probability its energetic action depends upon the pre- 

 sence of iodine, that statement might lead the medical professor to 

 reject Bergen cod oil. I have also received cod oil from the same 

 source which was certainly pure. I examined it according to 

 Gmelin's method (Ann. derPharm.,B. xxxi. p. 523.) which is both 

 a simple and sure method. This indicated the presence of iodine in 

 a manner about which there could not be the least doubt. Twenty 

 grammes was about the quantity acted upon. Journal fur Prakti- 

 sche Chemie. 1840. No. 4. 



MR. M'CORD'S OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOLAR AND TERRESTRIAL 

 RADIATION MADE AT MONTREAL. 



A Meteorological Register for 1838 was some time since kindly 

 communicated to us by Dr. Daubeny, kept at Montreal, Lower Ca- 

 nada, in lat. 45 50' N., Ion. 73 22' W., by J. S. M'Cord, Esq., 

 Corresponding Secretary to the Natural History Society, and Mem- 

 ber of the Literary and Historical Society, Quebec. It is an abs- 

 tract of observations of the Barometer, Thermometer, Rain Gauge, 

 Snow Gauge, Actinometer, and Register Thermometer ; all made by 

 the first British artists, and carefully compared with standard instru- 

 ments. 



The mean pressure of the year, corrected and reduced to 32 Fahr. 

 is 29 '884 in. ; the mean temperature, (mean of maxima and minima 

 by Register Thermometers) 41'58. 



We extract the observations of the solar and terrestrial radiation 

 entire, principally because so few observations have been made pub- 



