76 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



leaves yielded in this way 4*6 grs. of sulphate of barytes, equiva- 

 lent to 0*624 gr. of sulphur; but the quantity of sulphate of potash 

 is to be deducted from this. 



As the growth of the young plants of water-cresses took place in 

 a soil devoid of sulphur and sulphates, and in a room which con- 

 tained no sulphurous vapours, the origin of the sulphur, M. Vogel 

 remarks, is to him a perfect enigma, and at present he confesses that 

 he is unable to give a satisfactory explanation of it. — Journ. de Pharm. 

 et de Chim., Mai 1842. 



ACTION OF SALTS ON LIVING PLANTS. 



From the various experiments which M. Vogel, Sen. has made 

 on the action of salts on living plants, he has arrived at the following 

 conclusions : — 



1st. That plants with their roots when immersed into a solution 

 of sulphate of copper, totally absorb the salt, convert it into proto- 

 sulphate, and die quickly. 



2nd. That acetate of copper produces the same effects, the salt 

 absorbed becoming proto-acetate of copper. 



3rd. That plants absorb sulphate of magnesia, nitrate of potash, 

 and iodide of potassium, and die more or less quickly. 



4th. That the sulphates of zinc and manganese are absorbed by 

 plants without suffering decomposition, and the plants die. 



5th. That plants absorb nitrate of cobalt and nickel, without 

 being able to absorb the whole of them from solution ; but they die, 

 and the same effect is produced by emetic tartar. 



6th. That the oxalate and tartrate of oxide of chromium and 

 potash are slowly absorbed by plants, and the bichromate of potash 

 much more quickly. The Datura Stramonium and Galega officinalis 

 absorb the salt of chromium with the greatest rapidity ; they become 

 of a yellow colour and die. 



7 th. That plants absorb nitrate of silver ; but they decompose it, 

 and the oxide of silver is reduced to the metallic state. 



8th. That plants absorb also, and totally, the protonitrate of mer- 

 cury from solution, but the salt is decomposed. 



9th. That corrosive sublimate is absorbed by plants; some of them 

 decompose it into calomel, and others absorb it without decomposi- 

 tion. 



10th. That plants slowly absorb acetate of lead ; and it is de- 

 composed by some plants and not by others. 



11th. That plants which contain much carbonate of lime, such as 

 the Chara vulgaris and the Stratiotes alo'ides, do not absorb a salt of 

 copper from solution : the same also occurs with the Cereus vari- 

 abilis. — Ibid. 



ON CHLORITE AND REPIDOLITE. BY M. KOBELL. 

 Chlorite is characterized by the proportion of water which it con- 

 tains, and by its property of being completely decomposed by sul- 

 phuric acid. M. Kobell made a comparative analysis of four varie- 



