Imperial Institute of France, 7 1 



metal, and Messrs. Vauqnelin, Duportal, and Pelletier have 

 again examined these solutions, in order to acquire a more 

 precise knowledge of the stale in which it exists in the 

 pharmaceutical prejiarations : there nevertheless remained 

 much uncertainty on this subject, because the chemical pro- 

 perties of several of the combinations of gold arc very 

 purgative. 



M. Oberkampfsjun. has presented thi? year to the Class 

 a maiden performance on a chemical subject, in which he 

 has dispelled some errors. He has produced sulphurets 

 and phosphnrets of gold, and shows that the astonishing 

 differences, observed in the action of the alkalis on the so- 

 lutions of gold, depend on the proportion of the alkali: if 

 there be enough of it, the precipitate is black, and it is a 

 true oxide of gold : if there is not enough, the precipitate 

 IS yellow, and it is a muriate with excess of oxiJe : the 

 difference of proportion of t'le acid does not produce lessj 

 varied effects. Finally, in the precipitation by the oxide 

 of tin, the results differ still more, according to the propor- 

 tion of the oxide. M. Oberkampfs has determined the 

 quantity of oxygen contained in the oxide of gold, and 

 whicli is such, that in 100 parts there are 90-9 of gold and 

 9'1 of oxygen. 



Our associates Messrs. Thenard and Gay Lussac have 

 printed this year their Physico-chemical Researches, in 

 which they have collected all the memoirs which they have 

 read to the Class up to the present period, uc^^i^les a great 

 many others, all of them more or less important for the 

 sciences which these young chemists cultivate wiih so 

 much advantage. 



Messrs. Bouillon Lagrange and Vogel have published a 

 French translation of Klaproth's Dictionary of Chemistry, 

 a work which in a small compass contains all the essential 

 pomts in chemistry, detailed with as much clearness as so- 

 lidity, and according to the newest discoveries, 



Metef/rologT/.-^S'inct the fall of stones from the atmosphere 

 has become the subjt lI of investigation, they have been 

 more frequently observed. General Count Dorsc'nne has sent 

 us from Spain a meteorolite which fell in Catalonia. M. 

 Pictet, a corresponding member, has furnished us with an 

 account of two others, one of which fell on board of a 

 ship ; a novel circumstance. 



M. Sage, taking occasion to dcsciibc some watcr-spouls 

 which have bijen more frefpient than ever this year, has col- 

 lected in a detailed memoir a history of all the known plije- 

 noinena of this description Irom the remotest ages. 



£4 XII. T/i. 



