Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 313 



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M. Pelletier states, that some chemists consider santaline as a 

 resinous matter ; he is however more inclined to rank it with acid 

 colouring matters, on account of its affinity for salifiable bases. 

 Its composition is 



Atomic Calculated 



By direct Analysis. Constitution. Results. 



Carbon 75'03 .... 16 .... 75'36 



Hydrogen 637 .... 16 .... 6-15 



Oxygen 18-60 3 18-48 



Sarcocoiine. — This substance was discovered by Dr. Thomson in 

 sarcocol, the concrete juice of the Pcenea mucronata. It is obtained 

 by treating sarcocol with sulphuric aether to remove the resinous 

 matter; the sarcocol is then to be dissolved in absolute alcohol, 

 which is to evaporate spontaneously. 



Sarcocoiine is soluble in water, and more so when it is hot ; the 

 solution made in boiling water becomes milky on cooling; it is so- 

 luble in alcohol, insoluble in aether, and does not crystallize under 

 any circumstance. When treated with nitric acid, it is converted 

 into oxalic acid. The results of the analyses are 



Atomic Calculated 

 By direct Analysis. Constitution. Results. 



Carbon ........ 57*15 13 .... 57-39 



Hydrogen 8*34 .... 23 7*94 



Oxygen 34'5 6 34-65 



Piperine. — Piperine is a peculiar crystalline substance found in 

 several species of the fruits of the genus Piper. It was discovered 

 by GErsted. In order to obtain piperine, the method proposed by 

 M. Pelletier or M. Poutet, may be employed j the latter process 

 gives the piperine more free from fatty matter. 

 The composition is 



Atomic Calculated 



By direct Analysis. Constitution. Results. 



Carbon 70'41 .... 20 .... 70-54 



Hydrogen 6-80 24 6*91 



Azote 4-50 1 4-08 



Oxygen 18-28 4 18-45 



It contains one atom more of oxygen and one less of azote than 

 aricina. [To be continued.] 



PREPARATION OF FORMIC ACID. 



The following is the method of preparing formic acid, adopted by 

 M. Dbbereiner. 



" I dissolve one part of sugar in two parts of water, mix the solution 

 in a copper alembic, with 2\ to 3 parts of peroxide of manganese, 

 well powdered ; I heat the mixture to about 140° Fahr. and carefully 

 stirring with a wooden rod, I add 3 parts of sulphuric acid, pre- 

 viously mixed with an equal weight of water. On the addition of 

 the first third of the diluted acid, so strong an effervescence is pro- 

 duced, that the mixture would overflow the vessel, if it were not fifteen 

 times larger than required to hold the mixture j along with carbonic 



Third Series. Vol. 3. No. 16. Oct. 1833. 2 S 



