206 M. Berzelius on the [Ma new. 



The resinous matter of cubebs, decomposed in a glass tube, 

 exhibited the usual appearance of vegetable matter ; the vapours 

 which were disengaged had a penetrating odour, and reddened 

 litmus paper. 



It is evident from this analysis that cubebs contain : 



1. A volatile oil which is nearly solid. 



2. Resin, resembling that of balsam copaiva. 



3. A quantity of another and coloured resin. 



4. A coloured gummy matter. 



5. An extractive principle similar to that which is found in 

 leguminous plants. 



6. Some saline substances. 



I am desirous that this analysis, upon which I have bestowed 

 some pains, may serve to direct physicians to that employment 

 of cubebs in the healing art, to which they may think them 

 applicable. 



Article XII. 



On the Method of aiialijzwg the Ores of Nickel^ and on a ntm 

 Combination of Nickel loith Arsenic and Sulphur. By J. 

 Berzelius.* 



Within a few years, two new metals have been announced as 

 discovered in the ores of nickel (vestium and wodanium). It 

 was afterwards found that these metals were only alloys of nickel 

 with iron and arsenic. Even the celebrated Richter was 

 deceived 20 years since by a similar alloy, which he took for a 

 new metal, and named niccolanum. 



The cause of all these mistakes is to be attributed to the 

 imperfection of the analytical methods which have been 

 employed to separate nickel from other substances, especially 

 from the arsenic and iron with which it is accompanied. Seve- 

 ral metallic arseniates, especially that of iron, possess the pro- 

 perty of dissolving in acids, as if they were weak salifiable 

 bases ; the alkalies precipitate them without altering their com- 

 position, and v/hen these oxides are reduced by means of char- 

 coal, arseniurets are obtained, which, when compared with the 

 pure metals, appear to be peculiar metallic substances. Che- 

 mists who are accustomed to examine every thing by the blow- 

 pipe cannot, however, be deceived in this respect, because even 

 the smallest trace of arsenic is detected by the smell, when these 

 substances are heated with soda upon charcoal. 



I. Common Method of analj/zing the Ore of Nickel, 

 The powdered mineral is dissolved in nitric acid. There 



♦ From the Ann ales de Chimie et de Physique, torn. xvii. 



