XVI. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 
IODINE. 
M. HEevusmans read before the Society of Medicine of Louvain, 
at its sitting of the 16th of January, 1821, a paper upon the 
preparation of the tincture of iodine, and the re-establishment of 
that tincture deteriorated by time ; as also on the non-existerice 
of iodine in burnt sponge and in the ashes of the turf of Holland 
and the Netherlands. MM. Fyfe and Straub had announced the 
presence of this comburant in the ashes of Swiss turf. 
As to the means of re-establishing the tincture of iodine, 
when by the decomposition of the alcohol it has passed into the 
acid state, it consists in infusing the tincture with an excess of 
super-oxide of manganese ; the hydrogen is expelled, and the io- 
dine regenerated ; but the alcohol does not recover its primitive 
force, and is thus prevented frora holding the iodine in solution. 
This tincture, which M. Heusmans exhibited to the Society, was 
of a deep brownish red, it stained the hands intensely, and con- 
tained 48 grains of iodine per ounce of alcohol, at 35° B. 
This tincture is employed with success in the treatment of goi- 
tres and similar tumours.—Annales Generales des Sciences 
Physiques. 
POLYHALITES. 
The Polyhalite is a new mineral species established by Pro- 
fessor Stromeyer. It is in shapeless masses of a compact or fi- 
bro-lamellar texture ; its fracture is irregular, it is middling bard, 
not scratching glass ; its specific gravity is 2,7689 ; its colour is 
a brick-red, with the gloss of wax ; it is translucid at the edges 5 
it attracts humidity ; it is almost soluble in boiling water ; its 
solution is bitter and salt ; it is easily fusible into an opaque mass 
of a whitish red. The analysis yields 
Anhydrous sulphate of lime .. .. .. 22,4216 
Sulphate of lime combined with water .. 28,2548 
Anhydrous sulphate of magnesia... .. 20,0347 
SE se rr 7 A (5 
Muriate of soda SP Prob elated > soft ; 0,1910 
Red oxideiofimm. 4. «sce et 0,3376 
This mineral has been found at Isebel in Austria in the midst 
of strata of rock salt.—.Journal de Physique. 
STEINHEILITE. 
An analysis of the blue quartz of Finland, by M. Gadolin, has 
shown the principal constituents of this mineral (most unappro- 
priately ranged among the quartz) to be —455 of silex; 230 of 
alumina ; 100 of a particular rose-red matter which cannot be 
Vol. 59, No, 285, Jan. 1822, H re- 
