76 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



chlorine, and indeed it consisted of nothing further than chlorine 

 and water. But in taking the density of its vapour I found that it 

 was formed of twenty-four atoms of chlorine and of one atom of 

 water. Here then is the most perfect substitution of all the ele- 

 ments of the acetate of manganese. The formula of the substance 

 should be expressed by Cl 2 Cl 2 + Cl 8 Cl 6 Cl 6 + Cl 9. Al- 

 though I am aware that in the bleaching action of chlorine there is 

 a substitution of the hydrogen by the chlorine, and that the stuffs 

 which are at present bleached in England, according to the law of 

 substitutions, preserve their types*, I nevertheless believe that the 

 substitution of carbon by chlorine, atom for atom, is a discovery be- 

 longing to me. I trust you will take a memorandum of this note 

 in your valuable Journal, and believe, &c., 



ScHWINDERf. 



ON THE FORMATION OF LAMPIC ACID. 



Lampic acid, according to the experiments of Stas and Martius, 

 is a mixture of formic and aldehyd acids. Mr. R. F. Marchand 

 states that these acids vary in their respective proportions in the 

 combination according to the temperature of the platina wire genera- 

 ting the acid, and that they may be obtained in a constant propor- 

 tion, which may be nearly accurately determined when the experi- 

 ment is made with alcohol or aether. When alcohol or sether is 

 dropped upon a red-hot platina dish, the peculiar phenomenon is in- 

 stantly produced ; the liquid runs about the red-hot metallic surface 

 without quickly evaporating, and forms the known figures which have 

 been described by Bcettcher. The vapour may be collected by put- 

 ting a tubulated glass retort with the bottom off over the platina dish. 

 By pouring fresh liquid through the tube a considerable quantity may 

 be obtained in a short time. Upon examination it is easily ascer- 

 tained that it is no longer alcohol, but possesses all the properties of 

 lampic acid. The composition, or rather the mixture of the two in- 

 gredients, varies according to the temperature of the platina dish, in 

 the same manner as that produced by platina wire. In order to as- 

 certain whether the effectwas peculiar to platina, Mr. Le Marchand 

 tried glass, porcelain, polished copper and iron dishes ; these also pro- 

 duced the same effects. They must, however, be polished and not 

 present any rough surfaces ; in the latter case the peculiar effect was 

 not produced : it is also not produced when sand or glass is strewed 

 over the platina dish. 



The temperature to which the alcohol rises varies (as is the case 

 with water) according to the heat of the dish and to the size of the 

 drop. With water Mr. Le Marchand found it very accurately be- 

 ginning at 180, increasing to 204, and then to 212 Fahr. : arrived at 

 this point, the experiment is over, by the boiling of the water. The 



* I have just learnt that there are already in the shops of London stuffs 

 in spun chlorine (cloffes en clilore file}, much in request, and preferred to 

 everything for night-caps, drawers, &c. 



f \Schw\nder we presume means Hoaxer." EDIT.] 



