Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 7S 



The conclusion arrived at is, that the mode of estimating the force 

 of evidence employed in a court is a process which algebraic inves- 

 tigation analyses, and of which it explains the theory, and an ap- 

 proximation to a result which is obtained with accuracy by assigning 

 numerical values to the algebraic symbols : a clear conception of the 

 nature of the practical process, it is conceived, must render its appli- 

 cation more accurate, and to the extent of affording this the investi- 

 gation is deemed to be of practical utility. 



VIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON SULPHIPIANIC ACID. BY M. WOHLEll. 



HIS acid is formed by the action of sulphurous acid upon opianic 



T 



acid, which dissolves in considerable quantity in a hot solution 

 of sulphurous acid, without being deposited on cooling ; this solution 

 has a peculiar bitter taste and a sweetish after- taste ; the carbonates 

 of barytes and lead dissolve in it and form well-crystallized salts. 



When the solution of opianic acid in sulphurous acid is evaporated 

 at a moderate temperature, the sulphipianic acid remains in the state 

 of a transparent crystalline mass : this mass is usually rather moist, 

 because it accidentally contains a little sulphuric acid, but none is 

 ever found in the recently-prepared solution. It is colourless, and 

 on the addition of water it becomes milky, and acquires a strong 

 odour of sulphurous acid ; the white substance which separates is 

 opianic acid : the new acid therefore, when in a crystalline state, is 

 decomposed by water into opianic and sulphurous acid, but it takes 

 place only partially. 



The analyses of the salts of barytes and lead showed that the sul- 

 phipianic acid may be represented by C-o H<5 O^ S-. It was requi- 

 site to analyse these salts after drying at the usual temperature, and 

 consequently retaining their water of cr^'stallization, a jDortion of 

 which they lose at a slight increase of temperature, whereas a further 

 quantity is not expelled till the salt begins to decompose. Nitric 

 acid does not separate the acid from these salts, chlorine decomposes 

 them slowly and incompletely : the quantity of sulphur was deter- 

 mined by calcination in a tube with a mixture of carbonate of soda 

 and nitre. 



The sulphipianate of lead contained — 



Experiment. Equivalents. Calculation. 



Carbon 29-23 20 29-17 



Hydrogen 3-00 12 2'92 



Oxygen 33-00 17 33-02 



Sulphur 8-10 2 7-81 



Oxide of lead .... 2G-67 1 27-08 



lUO- 100- 



Calculation corresponds to the formula Pb + C-'0H<5 O^ 8^ + 6 HO. 

 The six equivalents of water which are expelled at 338° F. corre- 

 spond to 13-10 per cent. ; experiment gave 13-68. 



The salt of lead crystallizes in four-sided prisms, but the crystals 



