State of Chemical Science on ihe Continent. 217 
diameter of its prolongation. The first portions of liquid which 
pass through the lower sieve are so charged with the soluble 
matter, that they are as thick as syrup, and the remaining por- 
tions have neither taste nor colour. Quassia, for instance, is 
obtained at first in its consistence of extract, and what comes 
afterwards has no taste. The colouring matters with their ap- 
propriate solvents are also taken up at once. The extractive 
matter of tea, coffee, aud hops fall off in such a state of concen- 
tration, that they may be kept for years without spoiling. They 
are of course to be diluted with water for use. With a bottle of 
this extract in one’s pocket, it is only necessary to have boiling 
water, milk and sugar, to make good tea or coffee, which have 
all their colouring virtues, and have not jost a particle of aroma. 
If an extract is wanted by means of any other menstruum than 
water, for instance by alcohol, by alkaline liquor, acid, or oil, 
the organie substance must be impregnated with them, and 
water poured in above. These liquids saturated with the soluble 
substance pass through without the smaliest portion of water 
being mixed with them. Pounded almonds are obtained in 
thin oil ; and, when the water passes, it is of a red colour. For 
the oils which freeze, the temperature must not be too low. In 
short, every substance which ought not to be elaborated by heat, 
or what we may call boiled, is obtained speedily and commo- 
diously by this apparatus, which may be called a dissolving press. 
Its application is universal, and its results will be curious; it will 
furnish every substance free from alteration by heat, with sub- 
composition, supercomposition, or decomposition: the analysis 
of organic substances will be perfected and facilitated by it, and 
their elements will be soon better known. 
Note by M. Van Mons on the above letter. 
I have observed to M. Dobereiner, in my reply, that in all 
probability his iodine was iodous acid, and the water cf washing, 
after having taken off the iodic acid dry, must have left enough 
of oxygen with the phosphorus to convert it into hydrophospho- 
rous acid. [ call iodous acid, iodine half saturated with hydro- 
gen; as we call sulphurous acid, sulphur half saturated with oxy- 
gen. We obtain this acid cither by demi-saturation with hydro- 
gen, or by the disengagement of the half of the oxygen of the 
iodine by means of water; or, finally, by the mixture of iodine 
with ‘iodic acid: and on the supposition that the residue must 
have been de-hydrogenated phosphorus, this new bedy, on being 
burnt in dry air, could not give out vapours of phosphorous acid, 
and above all hydrophosphorous acid. The oxygen of the iodine 
remaining with the phosphorus must have been incompletely 
combined, 
