78 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



rallel to the principal axis. Its colour When recently fractured is 

 dark lead grey with metallic lustre, which gradually changes to 

 brown. Specific gravity 6*757. 



The results of two different analyses are as follows : 



Corresponding Corresponding 



proportion of proportion of 



Sulphur.. 16-05 Sulphur. 16-61 Sulphu 



Bismuth.. 34.-62 785 3S-4.5 8-26 



Lead 35-69 5-57 36-05 5-60 



Copper .. 11-79 2-96 10-59 2-69 



lur. 



9815 16-38 99-70 16-55 



Poggendorffy band xxxi. § 529. 

 Hence in the composition of nadelerz there are three atoms of 

 bismuth, two of lead, and one of copper, combined respectively with 

 one of sulphur. 



AMMONIA IN THE VEGETABLE ALKALIES. 



M. Matteucci remarks that the existence of azote and hydrogen 

 in the form of ammonia in the vegetable alkalies, is one of the points 

 respecting which there is yet uncertainty. According to the ana- 

 lysis of Liebig, the relation between the acid and the azote of the 

 base, is exactly the same as in ammoniacal salts ; and the vegetable 

 alkalies, like ammonia, form true salifiable bases only when combined 

 with water; and lastly, the salts which have a vegetable alkali for 

 their base, are similar to ammoniacal salts as to isomorphism with 

 other salts : from these circumstances M. Matteucci concludes that 

 apart at least of the azote of these alkalies is in the state of ammonia. 

 It will be readily admitted that voltaic electricity offers the most 

 • proper method of solving the question ; for this purpose it is suffi- 

 cient, though difficult of execution, to apportion the force of the 

 electric current so as to separate the binary compounds without 

 transforming them. For this purpose an apparatus, precisely simi- 

 lar to that used by M, Becquerel, was employed, and some pure 

 iiarcotine was put upon a slip of turmeric paper moistened with 

 aether: the same was also done with reddened litmus paper. Although 

 the alkaline nature of narcotine is well ascertained, yet it is well 

 known that it does not produce the same effects as other alkalies 

 upon the colours of turmeric and reddened litmus.' After some 

 time the blue colour of the litmus reappears, and the turmeric is 

 reddened. Still further to investigate this subject, sulphate of cop- 

 per, in very fine powder, was mixed with pure morphia and placed 

 on paper moistened with alcohol, which touched the copper of the 

 small pile; in a few minutes the mixture became blue : this experi- 

 ment succeeded also when a pile of ten pairs was employed. As 

 it is impossible to believe that this ammonia is formed by the com- 

 bination of the azote and hydrogen developed by the pile, the exist- 

 ence of this body in a state of combination in the organic alkalies 

 must be admitted. — Ann. dc C/tim, cl dc Phys. torn. Iv. p. 317. 



