Intelligence and Miscellaneous Artidei. 253 



Several chemists have directed their attention to the existence 

 of an organic substance and saline matters in the atmosphere. 

 Their experiments have unquestionably proved, that rain vi^ater in 

 falling through the atmosphere carries with it in solution into the 

 earth, ammoniacal salts, calcareous salts, and a flocky matter, which 

 is without doubt the origin of the deleterious principles which are 

 designated by the term miasmata. Hitherto, however, no one has 

 stated the existence of this organic matter in hailstones. — Journal 



de Pharm. 



VJ5RATRIC ACID. BY M. MERCK. 



I have convinced myself, observes M. Merck, by repeated obser- 

 vations that the seeds of cevadilla contain, besides the bodies 

 already known, several new and extremely interesting substances ; 

 and I have obtained a quantity of one of them in a state of purity. 

 Professor Schriitter has analysed it in M. Liebig's laboratory, and 

 has determined its formula, and his experiments prove that it is a 

 new and peculiar acid. This acid, which I shall call veratric acid, 

 is very readily obtained by treating cevadilla, in the manner directed 

 by M. Couerbe, with alcohol and sulphuric acid, for preparing vera- 

 tria ; hydrate of lime is to be added to the alcoholic tincture, and 

 the alcohol is to be distilled from the filtered liquor. The watery 

 liquor which remains with the residue on the separated veratria, 

 then contains the new acid in combination with lime, and it is 

 requisite only to supersaturate it with sulphuric acid to separate the 

 veratric acid, which, if the liquor is sufficiently concentrated, cry- 

 stallizes in a few hours. Sometimes it is necessary to evaporate 

 the mother waters to one half, and to heat them for some time after 

 the addition of the sulphuric acid, in order to separate the sulphate 

 of lime ; the concentration, however, ought not to be carried too 

 far, because the viscidity of the liquor then renders the crystalliza- 

 tion of the acid difficult. The crystals are completely purified by 

 washing them repeatedly with cold water, dissolving them in boil- 

 ing alcohol, and treatment with purified animal charcoal. In this 

 condition they are colourless acicular crystals or tetrahedral prisms, 

 according as they are obtained from a concentrated or dilute solu- 

 tion. This acid reddens moist litmus paper, it is soluble in alcohol, 

 and much more so when hot than cold ; it is insoluble in Kther. 

 In cold water it is but little soluble, in hot water it is more readily 

 dissolved, and on cooling it is deposited in the form of a white cry- 

 stalline powder. With the alkalies it forms compounds, which are 

 soluble both in water and alcohol ; its compounds with potash and 

 soda are crystallizable, not deliquescent but very soluble in water. 

 The solutions of nitrate of silver and acetate of lead produced in the 

 concentrated solution of veratrate of ammonia white precipitates, 

 which dissolve completely on the addition of water or of alcohol. 



Fuming sulphuric acid and nitric acid of 40° B. do not appear to 

 decompose this acid ; if on the contrary some crystals be put into 

 a mixture of sulphuric and nitric acid, they become, after a short 

 time, of a fine yellow colour. 



When cautiously heated on platina foil by a spirit lamp, the cry- 



