Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 393 



purified • when the author had afterwards hecome better informed 

 as to the nature of the acid, he purified it by means of nitric acid ; 

 the quantity thus obtained is, however, extremely small ; about 40 

 pounds of wormwood yielding only about 15 grains of pure acid. 



Absinthic acid has the following properties : — It has a peculiar 

 and sour taste, is soluble in water, alcohol and aether, and crystallizes 

 in small colourless lamina?, mixed with acicular crystals ; it sublimes 

 without leaving any residue ; the vapour excites coughing ; chlorine 

 and nitric acid do not alter it. The solutions of salts of lead and 

 silver are precipitated white by this acid, when neutralized by 

 ammonia ; with chloride of iron a reddish-brown precipitate is ob- 

 tained ; the chlorides of barium and calcium and the salts of man- 

 ganese are not precipitated by it. 

 It yielded by analysis — 



I. II. 



Carbon 40-650 40-591 



Hydrogen.... 5-409 5' 151 



Oxygen 53-941 54-258 



100- 100- 



Estimating the atomic weight of carbon at 75-88, the author con- 

 cludes that this acid is constituted of 



4 atoms of Carbon 303-416 or 40*955 



6 ... Hydrogen. .. 37*438 5*053 



4 ... Oxygen 40Q-Q00 53-992 



740854 100- 

 The formula of the salt of silver is 



4 atoms of Carbon 303*416 or 14*587 



4 ... Hydrogen 24-959 1-200 



3 ... Oxygen 300-000 14-423 



1 ... Oxide of silver 1451-610 69-790 

 2079*985 100* 

 The formula of this acid is therefore C 4 H 1 O 3 + aq, and the equiva- 

 lent of the anhydrous acid is 627*37. 



The author observes that these numbers, as well as the reactions 

 of this acid, exhibit a perfect agreement with those of the succinic 

 acid, and that no doubt can exist as to their identity. 



The succinic acid in the wormwood is combined with potash ; if 

 the plant be treated directly with aether, no succinic acid is obtained, 

 but if it be submitted to dry distillation, the presence of succinic acid 

 is easily recognised among the products ; it appears, therefore, that 

 succinic acid exists in wormwood in the state of super-succinate of 

 potash ; this salt possessing the property of yielding a part of its acid 

 by dry distillation Journ. de Ph. et de Ch., Fev. 1844. 



PROCESS FOR OBTAINING OSMIUM. BY MONS. E. FREMY. 



One hundred parts of the residue of the ore of platina were mixed 

 with three times their weight of nitre, and the mixture was heated 

 in a crucible to redness for an hour in a wind furnace. 



