TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 63 



separation the author effects by dissolving the alum (ammonia alum is to be pre- 

 ferred) in hot water and then passing into the solution a stream of ammoniacal gas, 

 produced by boiling the ammoniacal liquor of gas-works with lime, until the whole 

 of the alumina is precipitated as a subsulphate; this precipitate is then to be separated 

 from the solution of sulphate of alumina by means of canvas filters, or a hydro-extract- 

 or. The subsulphate of alumina, being then dissolved in sulphuric acid and evaporated, 

 yields pure sulphate of alumina admirably adapted for the production of the usual 

 alumina mordants of the calico-printer, and the filtered solution yields on evaporation 

 crystallized sulphate of ammonia, about 9 cwt. of which will be produced from each 

 ton of alum, one third, or 3 cwt., being separated from the alum itself. 



On the Extraction of Metals from the Ore of Platinum. 

 By Professor E. Fremy, Paris. 

 M. Fr6my treated of the preparation of osmium, rhodium and iridium from the 

 residues of the platinum ores. The preparation of osmium according to the old method 

 is attended with great difficulties and actual danger. M. Fremy proposed to prepare 

 osmium by passing atmospheric air over the residual ore, heated in a porcelain tube. 

 The volatile osmic acid is condensed in glass balloons, and the less volatile oxide of 

 ruthenium is found at the extremity of the heated tube. The rhodium remaining in the 

 residual mass is separated from the other metal contained by chlorine gas at a high 

 temperature. 



On a New Glticocide contained in the Petals of a Wall/lower. 

 By J. Galletley. 



On the Use of Phosphate of Potash in a Salt Meat Dietary. 

 By Robert Galloway, F.C.S. 

 We know from the researches of Liebig that salted meat is less nutritious than 

 unsalted meat, if the salting has been carried to such an extent as to produce brine ; 

 for the salt remains along with the water of the flesh, the different substances dissolved 

 in it being albumen, lactic acid, kreatine, kreatinine and some of the mineral ingre- 

 dients, especially phosphoric acid and potash. It is, in my opinion, the loss of the 

 two latter substances which renders salted meat so unnutritious, because the fibrine of 

 the flesh can supply the place of the organic substances, but none of the substances 

 remaining in the flesh can supply the place of the phosphoric acid and potash, and even 

 vegetables do not contain these substances in sufficient quantity to make up for the loss. 

 To supply the deficiency, 1 propose that phosphate of potash be used with salted meat 

 as common salt is with flesh ; this addition would render salted meat nearly, if not 

 quite, as nutritious as flesh, and as a consequence the diseases arising from the use of 

 salted meat would cease. 



On the Quality of Food of Artizans in an artificially heated Atmosphere. 

 By Robert Galloway, F.C.S. 



Some time ago I had to superintend the operations in a sugar refinery ; during the 

 time my attention became directed to the quality of the food consumed by the work- 

 men. The temperature of a refinery varies from 90° to 120° Fahr., and the work is 

 laborious. The workmen, as theory would predict, live almost exclusively upon nitro- 

 genous substances; their food consists of bread and meat ; and this is the more stri- 

 king, as the men in their own country (the men employed in refineries are Germans), 

 and at other occupations, live almost exclusively upon vegetables. 



On a Crystalline Deposit of Gypsum in the Reservoir of the Highgate Water- 

 works. By J. H. Gladstone, Ph.D., F.R.S. 



Dr. Gladstone laid on the table a large branching crystal of gypsum, weighing 

 about half a pound. It was described as a small portion of a deposit which was 

 found recently on cleaning out one of the reservoirs at Highgate. The clerk of the 



