238 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



"b 



Muromontite. — By this name the author designates a ceriferous 

 mineral met with in the environs of Mauersberg near Marienberg, 

 in the Erzgebirge. It has the form of black grains, with a greenish 

 reflexion. Density, 4'263-4-265. 

 This mineral contains — 



Silica 31-089 



Yttria 37-140 



Glucina 5-510 



Alumina 2-230 



Oxide of lanthanium. ... 3-530 



Oxide of cerium 5-540 



Protoxide of iron 11 -230 



Protoxide of manganese . . 0- 900 



Lime 0*710 



Magnesia 0-420 



Soda 0-650 



Potash 0-170 



Water 0-820 



99-939 

 Journ. de Ph. et de Ch., Novembre 1848. 



ON THE FERROCYANIDES OF STRYCHNIA AND BRUCIA. 

 BY M. D. BRANDES. 



The author states tliat when a solution of ferrocyanide of potas- 

 sium is added to one of a neutral salt of strychnia, an abundant preci- 

 pitate is obtained, consisting of small and nearly colourless needles. 



In operating on dilute solutions deprived of free acid, crystals of 

 two to three centimetres in length and of a very bright yellow colour 

 are obtained ; they are four-sided prisms, terminated by dihedral 

 summits : these crystals are ferrocyanuret of strychnia, represented 

 by the formula 2(Str, H Cy) + Fe Cy + 8H0. At 212° the salt loses 

 6-1 per cent., or six equivalents of water. If it be dissolved in hot 

 water, or if the cold saturated solution he boiled, crystals of strych- 

 nia separate, and the liquor, which is of a deep yellow colour, holds 

 ferrocyanide of strychnia in solution, 



3(Str, HCy,)-fFe2Cy3+12HO. 



This salt, which forms crystals of a golden-yellow colour, corre- 

 sponds to the red prussiate of potash, and may also be obtained by 

 mixing the cold saturated solutions of sulphate of strychnia and red 

 ferrocyanide of potassium : according to the author, this salt loses 

 three equivalents of water in a dry vacuum, six equivalents at 212°, 

 and eight equivalents at 277° F. Above this temperature it decom- 

 poses. When an alcoholic solution of strychnia is mixed with a 

 solution of hydroferrocyanic acid in alcohol, a white amorphous pre- 

 cipitate is obtained. This is nearly insoluble in water or alcohol, 

 and has a distinct acid reaction. M. Brandes assigns to it the for- 

 mula (Str, 2ACy + 2FeCy) + 5HO. He considers it as an acid ana- 

 logous to the hydroferrocyanic, and expresses its constitution as fol- 

 lows, deducting the five equivalents of water it contains (Str, HCy 



