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SCIENTIFIC NEWS, ACCOUNTS OF BOOKS, (sfc. 



National Injlitute of France. 



HE philofophical and mathematical communications of this eflablilhment during the laft 

 trimeftre are as follows : 



Guyton related a number of experiments on the mutual affinities of the earths to each 

 other in the humid as well as in the dry way. His experiments of the latter kind were made 

 in crucibles of platina ; and on the occafton of the former, he difcufles the confideration how 

 far barytes and ftrontian ought to be ranked with alkalis. At the fame fitting, he commu- 

 nicated an account of the experiments on the combuftion of the diamond. (See page 295.) 



It is well known to chemifts, that Scheele is the firft who has fpoken of a brown oxide 

 of lead, and profeflbr Prouft has lately defcribed fome of its properties, and the manner of 

 making it. The experiments of Vauquelin fliew that this oxide, which is of a dark brown 

 colour, becomes yellow by the flightefl: impreilion of heat from the blow-pipe, and afterwards 

 melts. It affords a very great quantity of pure oxygen gas, when heated in a retort with 

 the pneumatic apparatus. When heated with weak fulphuric acid, italfo gives out oxygen gas, 

 precifely like manganefe, many of whofe properties it appears to poflefs. Its moft remark- 

 able property is, that it takes fire fpeedily by fimple trituration with fulphur. The infllam- 

 mation is rapid and brilliant, but without detonation or explofion. This fuper-oxygenated 

 lead, after this combuftion of the fulphur, is converted into galena, of which it has the black 

 blueifli colour, and all the other characters. 



The fame chemift communicated likewife fome obfervations on the decompofition of the 

 muriate of foda by the oxide of lead ; a fail, which though well known before, was not fatif- 

 fadlorily explained previous to the experiments and refearches of Vauquelin. 



Huzard read certain obfervations and refledlions upon canine madnefs, by the late Flandrin, 

 affbciate of the Inftitute. Among other important obfervations, the moft: remarkable is, 

 that herbivorous animals, though fufceptible of this difeafe, very feldom communicate it. The 

 fame citizen read for Cit. Gilbert, a paper on agriculture, and the perfedtion of the race of 

 (heep. 



Cit. Teiffier likewife read fome ufeful agricultural obfervations applicable to France ; and" 

 Rougier la Bergerie read a memoir on a difeafe of barley. Lacepede prefented a new metho- 

 dical table ofmammiferous animals; that is to fay, viviparous quadrupeds and cetacea, Cit. 

 Desfontaines communicated obfervations which he had made in the defert of Sahara, on the 

 culture and ufes of the date-bearing palm. . 



Cits. Ventenat and Vauquelin prefented. each a feveral work. The firft, a table of the 

 vegetable kingdom, according to the natural method of Juflieu. A work in which is con- 

 tained, not only the abridged hiftory of the fcience, with the anatomy of vegetables, but like- 

 wife the order of their arrangement,, the charader of the clafles, the families, and a great 



number 



