Pyromucous Acid.—Starch Sugar.—Wodanium, 305 
The filtered liquid left to cool, but now and then shaken, became 
a mass of white gallic acid, from which the redundant fluid was 
separated by pressure. The acid thus obtained was as pure and 
white as other crystallizable vegetable acids: its solution does not 
affect a solution of gelatine ; and it crystallizes from hot water 
in needles as white as snow. Annales de Chim. 
PYROMUCOUS ACID. 
_ Thisname is given by M. Hauton Labillardiere to a new acid 
which he has procured, by distilling mucous acid till nothing re- 
mained in the retort but charcoal. A brown liquid came over, 
and a few crystals attached themselves to the upper part of the 
retort: these were put together, and about four times as much 
water was added: the solution was then filtered, and evaporated to 
a pellicle ; the crystals were separated, and the mother liquor was 
again evaporated to obtain the rest of the acid. The crystals 
thus obtained are yellow and impure, and must therefore be di- 
stilled in a small retort at a temperature of 266° of Fahrenheit ; 
then melted, and again distilled. A slight portion of charcoal is 
left in the retort, and the distilled acid still appears yellow ; but 
when crystallized it becomes white and pure. It is inodorous, of 
a strong acid taste, melts at 266° of Fahr., volatilizes above that 
heat, and condenses into a liquié which on cooling becomes solid. 
.It reddens vegetable blues, is not deliquescent, is more soluble 
in alcohol than in water, and in hot water thanin cold. Ana- 
lysed by oxide of copper, its constituents appear to be. carbon, 
52°118, oxygen 45:806, hydrogen 2-111. It combines with 
the various metallic oxides, yielding neutral salts, the greater 
part of which are crystallizable. 
STARCH-SUGAR FERMENTED. 
Our readers know that sugar has been made artificially by the 
action of sulphuric acid on starch. _ Sugar thus made is found to 
be fermentable like any vegetable saccharine matter. Dissolved 
in water, boiled with hops, and treated like malt worts, it yields 
2 light, brisk, pleasant beverage, and of a strength proportioned 
to the solution employed. 
POTATOE SUGAR. 
Late accounts from Sweden state, that. in many parts of that 
kingdom “ they now extract sugar from potatoe starch. — It is 
calculated that 240 pounds yield forty of moscovado sugar.” 
WODANIUM. 
In onr number for January we announced the discovery of this 
mew metal by M. Lampadius. ‘The mineral from which he ob- 
tained it was not English, as first stated, but from Topschan in 
_ Vol, 53, No, 252, April 1819, ¢ U Hungary; 
