Intelligence and Miscella7ieous Articles. 487 



the air, between folds of blotting-paper, then at 212°, reduced to fine 

 powder, repeatedly treated with aether, and then again dried. 



By being burnt in a porcelain crucible, with the addition of nitric 

 acid, it left 2*66 per cent, of ashes ; these consisted of phosphate and 

 sulphate of lime, with a rather considerable proportion of oxide of 

 iron. 



Analysed by means of chromate of lead, it yielded 



Carbon 52-406 



Hydrogen 7'094 



Azote 18-120 



Oxygen 19-720 



Ashes 2-660 



100- 



The combinations of fibrin and the products of its decomposition 

 are as yet but little known. If recently coagulated albumen be 

 boiled in water in a Papin's digester at a temperature somewhat at or 

 about 212°,it dissolves almost entirely after some hours. This solution 

 is not precipitated by alcohol, but is so by a solution of alum, pro- 

 tonitrate of mercury, tannin, and hydrochloric acid ; neither the 

 acetate nor subacetate of lead produces this effect. The solution con- 

 tains no gelatin ; for even when it is very concentrated it does not 

 gelatinize on cooling. When evaporated to dryness, it leaves a 

 brittle, transparent substance resembling gum, which redissolves in 

 hot water. When boiled with an excess of hydrochloric acid, it 

 assumes the same fine lilac colour as fresh fibrin similarly treated. 



If fibrin be boiled with dilute sulphuric acid, and peroxide of 

 manganese be added to the boiling liquor, decomposition occurs ; a 

 peculiar penetrating odour is developed, in which that of formic 

 acid is perceptible. There is a solution of organic matter in the 

 liquor, which may be obtained in a pure state by means of carbonate 

 of barytes or of lime, and evaporating the filtered liquor. It has not 

 been more particularly examined. Fibrin is also altered by chlorine ; 

 when long exposed to an aqueous solution of it, the greater part is 

 dissolved ; but a white powder is gradually precipitated to the bot- 

 tom, probably because the liquid chlorine is gradually decomposed. 

 .^-Journal de Pharmacie, September, 1839. 



NOTICE FROM DR. ROBERT HARE, PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, 

 ECT., RESPECTING THE FUSION OF PLATINA, ALSO RE- 

 SPECTING A NEW ^THER, AND A SERIES OF GASEOUS COM- 

 POUNDS FORMED WITH THE ELEMENTS OF WATER. 

 TO PROF. SILLIMAN. _ 



Philadelphia, Dec. 15th, 1838. 



My dkar Friend, — I send you for the Journal a brief notice of 

 some results, observations, and inferences, which are nearly in the 

 same language in which they were communicated to the Chemical 

 Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



I have by improvements in my process for fusing platina, sue- 



