416 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



The pressure need not be more than 25 atmospheres, for no gas 

 will be disengaged. A valve is to be placed at the opposite extre- 

 mity to that at which the solution enters, and charged with sufficient 

 weight to obtain this pressure; it will then only be opened by the 

 pressure exerted by the injection pump. I have not as yet tried 

 this process, which is also applicable to other substances, but I see 

 nothing which can prevent its success. According to some experi- 

 ments which I have made, less than a proportion of potassa for a 

 proportion of neutral tartar will be necessary. — Ann. de Chimie, 

 xli. 398. 



17. New Source of Spirit. — It is stated that the berries of the 

 Sorbus Aucuparia are now used in the north of France for the pro- 

 duction of a spirit, and the result is said to be equal to the purest 

 distillation from grapes for brandy. The berries, when perfectly 

 ripe, are first exposed to the action of cold in the open air, then put 

 into a wooden vessel, bruised, and boiling water poured on, the 

 whole being stirred until it has sunk in temperature to 82° F. A 

 proper quantity of yeast is then added, the whole covered up and left 

 to ferment. When the fermentation is over, the liquor is to be put 

 into the still, and drawn over in the usual way. The first running 

 is weak and disagreeable in flavour, but being distilled from off very 

 fresh finely powdered charcoal in the proportion of 8 or 9 lbs. to 

 40 gallons of weak spirit, a very fine product is obtained. The 

 charcoal should remain in the liquid two or three days before the 

 second distillation. 



18. Effect of Ether on Sulphate of Indigo. — M. Cassola states, 

 that when sulphuric ether is added to sulphate of indigo, in about 

 half an hour, at the temperature of 100° F., the colour of the indigo 

 totally disappears, and no substance whatever is capable of restor- 

 ing it. The colourless mixture being subjected to distillation, yields 

 a liquor which reddened litmus strongly, and gave no precipitate 

 with barytic salts ; but with nitrate of silver a precipitate was ob- 

 tained soluble in ammonia. — Hensman's Rep. Phil. Mag. N. S. vi. 

 393. 



19. Composition of Malic Acid. — M. Frommherz has endeavoured 

 to settle the discordances in the experimental estimation of the pro- 

 portions of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, in malic acid. He burnt 

 the malate of lead by peroxide of copper. His malate consisted of 

 39.375 malic acid, and 60.625 oxide of lead. From the mean of 

 three experiments, he deduced that the acid contained 6 atoms of 

 oxygen, 7 atoms of hydrogen, and 3^ atoms of carbon, or 



Carbon . . 29.357 



Oxygen . . 65.863 



Hydrogen . . 4.780 



Then it is remarked that a half atom is contrary to all theoretical 



