140 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



sumed that there was present in the hquor some combination con- 

 taining more hydrogen than alcohol does; and it is proved by the 

 experiments of Doebereiner that ammonia is formed during fermen- 

 tation. A solution of chloride of platina produced so abundant a 

 precipitate in the liquor of amraonio-chloride of platina, that the 

 author almost suspected an accidental error. The experiment was 

 then repeated with a certain quantity of alcohol recently prepared 

 from milk ; the precipitate was collected on a filter, dried and then 

 heated to redness in a glass tube. The large quantity of muriate 

 of ammonia obtained, left no doubt on the subject in question. M. 

 Hess also determined that the peculiar odour was derived from an 

 admixture of ammonia. Then in order to obtain pure alcohol, he 

 first separated the water by lime and then distilled it with a salt wa- 

 ter bath, at a very low temperature, with a ^tivf drops of sulphuric 

 acid. The liquor obtained had however a weak aethereal odour j 

 0*513 gave 0*993 of carbonic acid and 596 of water, which give for 

 100 parts: Carbon .. 53*4'3 but alcohol contains 52*66 

 Hydrogen 12-90 .. .. 1290 



Oxygen. . 33-67 . . . . S**^^ 



100- 100* 



The aethereal odour sufficiently explains the cause of the slight ex- 

 cess of carbon, and it appears, in fact, that the alcohol obtained is 

 identical with common alcohol, but in order to be quite certain of 

 this, M. Hess mixed it with an equal weight of sulphuric acid, and 

 he obtained by distilling the mixture common sulphuric aether. As 

 all kinds of milk are susceptible of fermentation, and as no other 

 kind of sugar but sugar of milk has been discovered in them, these 

 facts prove that it must be fermentable. The author is of opinion 

 that two facts have especially contributed to lead observers into 

 error; first, it is quite possible that the usual ferment (yest) is not 

 sufficiently powerful to decompose sugar of milk, which requires for 

 its decomposition the action of its natural ferment (caseum); se- 

 condly, the extreme slowness of the fermentation. — Journal dePhar" 

 maciet October 1837. 



FORMATION OF NITRE IN EXTRACT OF QUASSIA. BY M.PLANCHE. 



The ashes of quassia are slightly alkaline and cold water dissolves 

 about 25 per cent, of them, composed of potash, lime, carbonate of 

 potash, carbonate of lime, chloride of sodium, nitrate of potash, and 

 traces of sulphate. The insoluble residue yielded a little sulphate 

 of potash and of lime to boiling water ; the remainder consisted 

 principally of carbonate and sulphate of lime. There are few vege- 

 table ashes which contain so small a quantity of alkali, and the ex- 

 istence of nitre in a product which has been subjected to a red heat 

 is also remarkable. 



Not only is nitre contained in the ashes of quassia, but it exists 

 in the extract, and the quantity increases by exposing it to the ac- 

 tion of air and moisture. An ounce of extract of quassia (A) recently 

 prepared, and of a consistence fit for pills was put into an earthen 



