1821.] Scientific Intelligence. 469 



Article XI. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE, AND NOTICES OF SUBJECTS 

 CONNECTED WITH SCIENCE. 



I. Composition of Rhubarb. 



Mr. Brande has lately analyzed the root of the Rheum Palmatum. 

 The results of the destructive distillation of rhubarb are stated as 

 follow: 



Water 10 



Empyreumatic oil, gallic acid, and water, formed ..... 49*0 



Charcoal 34>'5 



Phosphate of lime 2*0 



Carbonate of lime 4*2 



Loss 3 



1000 



The component parts of rhubarb are stated to be as follow : 



Water 8*2 



Gum 31^a 



Resin 10*0 



Extract, tan, and gallic acid 26*0 



Phosphate of Hme 2 



Mulate of lime 6'5 



Woody fibre 16-3 



100-0 

 II. Rocks ofMoni Blanc. 



Owing to an accident, these rocks were not quite correctly noticed 

 in Capt. Undrell's communication. 



The very highest rock is highly crystalline hornblende and steatite; 

 the latter might be mistaken for compact felspar, but it yields to pres- 

 sure and the knife. Another specimen which is laminated seems to 

 consist of greyish and yellowish steatite, imbedding quartz crystals, 

 and having brown mica between the laminae. This specimen might be 

 readily mistaken for fine-grained gneiss. The rock called Petit Mulct, 

 the specimen from which was mistaken for that from the summit, is the 

 protogene of Prof. Jurine, consisting of quartz, felspar, and steatite. 



III. Granulation of Copper, 



The following singular circumstance was communicated to me by 

 Mr. W. Keates, of the Cheadle Copper Works. 



" I send you some globules of copper, quite hollow, and so light as 

 to swim on water; the history of which is as follows: One of our 

 refining furnaces contained about 20 cwt. of melted copper, which was 

 to be laded into blocks ; but the refining process had not been carried 

 far enough, so that when the men came to lade it out into the moulds, 

 they found it to be impracticable, in consequence of its emitting suL'h 



