$24 Scientific NemSf Accounts of Books, i^e- 



The nitrate of pneum-alkali liquifies in its own water of cryftalllzation at 300° Fr. 

 It firft bubbles much, nitrogen*gas is evolved, and the fait is long decompofed before the 

 tnafs is ignited. The nitrate of pneum-alkali does not detonate on ignited coal, it does not 

 decrepitate, nor does it become piiofphorefcent, nor does it emit fparks. Its decompofition 

 by heat is afFe£ted gradually and quietly. 



The union of pneum-alkali with carbonic acid is extremely difficult. It is bed efFe£ted 

 by decompofing a faline combination of this alkali with an excefs of acid, by means of any 

 of the other carbonated alkalies : the firft precipitate which is obtained by this means, is 

 the/«r^/>w«»»-a//Jfl// in a cryftalline form ; but foon afterwards the carbonate appears in 

 the ftate of a light, white, pulverulent, earthy fubftance. The carbonate of pneum-alkali 

 readily parts with its carbonic acid at the common temperature of our climate, and be- 

 comes converted into pure pneum-alkali. 



It feparates earths and metallic fubftances from their faline combinations. 



Mercury, when agitated with the aqueous folution of this alkali, does not .lofe its 

 iuftre. 



It precipitates the oxigenated muriate of quickfilver of a carmine red, the nitrate of 

 mercury black, the nitrate of filver white, &c &c. 



It decompofes muriate of'ammoniac at ioo° F } but water, impregnated with ammoniac 

 gas, feparates the pneum-alkali from the neutral combinations by mere cold. 



A faturated folution of this alkali unites with fat oils by mere agitation, and forms a 

 faponaceous compound, foluble in fpirit and in water. Ardent fpirit has no efFe£l: upon it. 

 It changes blue vegetable tinctures green, and poflelTes fome of the properties common 

 to the other alkalies, but again many others, widely difi^erent, which entitle it to the notice 

 of the philofophical chemift. 



This alkali is fold at C. G, Hilfcher in Leipzic, in bottles containing one ounce, at 

 one Frederic d'or. 



Flour from the Bread Fruit. 



Citizen Van Noorden, phyfician at Rotterdam, has written to the (French) Society of Arts," 

 that a furgeon, who lately arrived from Surinam, informs him, that the bread fruit tree has 

 fuccecded fo well in that colony, that there are confiderable plantations, which are pro- 

 duftive beyond all expectation. They make bread from it, which is as good as that 

 afforded by wheat. For this purpofe the fruit is fliced, then dried in the fun, and after- 

 wards pounded ; and the flour, when made into pafte with water, rifes as well as the 

 flour of wheat, and may be kept for a confiderable time. The expe(Slation which has 



3 juftiy 



