lii Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



mixture was allowed to cool, and the fatty matter which floated 

 upon the fluid was separated ; it was of a canary yellow colour, 

 inodorous, and softer than the fat employed. It was perfectly wash- 

 ed with distilled water, so as to separate all matters soluble in it; 

 it was then treated with alcohol, which dissolved it almost entirely. 

 The undissolved portion appeared to be fat, probably a little altered. 

 The alcoholic solution reddened litmus paper strongly ; by evapo- 

 ration in a salt-water bath, it gave a yellowish residual mass, which 

 was pressed after having been placed between folds of blotting paper. 

 By pressure a very acid yellow liquid was obtained, which com- 

 bined with alcohol in all proportions, with solution of potash, and 

 was susceptible of forming with barytes a compound insoluble both 

 in alcohol and water. 



The solid matter which remained between the folds of paper, was 

 first shaken with hot barytes water, and the insoluble barytic salt 

 was treated with boiling alcohol, in order to separate the unacidi- 

 fied fatty matter which it might retain. The alcohol dissolved a 

 small portion of fatty matter, and left the barytic salt unacted upon : 

 this salt being decomposed by dilute muriatic acid, yielded a solid 

 fatty matter, which was washed with distilled water until the wash- 

 ings ceased to act upon solution of nitrate of silver or coloured 

 re-agents. 



When thus separated from all excess of muriatic acid, it was dis- 

 solved in alcohol and crystallized ; it was colourless, inodorous, 

 tasteless, and lighter than water; it melted at -|- 144° Fahr. ; the 

 alcohol while boiling dissolved it readily, and on cooling, fine pearly 

 crystals were deposited. It reddened moistened litmus paper, com- 

 bined readily with potash and barytes, forming with the first of these 

 bases a compound analogous to common soaps, and like them so- 

 luble in water and alcohol; the barytic salt was pulverulent and in- 

 soluble in these fluids. 



It results from the preceding experiments that fat treated with 

 nitric acid is partly converted into oleic and margaric acids. As 

 analogy of composition admits extending these results to all bodies 

 formed of stearine and oleine, it will be observed that the property 

 of converting these bodies into oleic and margaric acids, which for 

 a long time was limited to the action of the alkalies only, then ob- 

 served in sulphuric acid, in oxygen and in heat, is also found to 

 exist in nitric acid. From these circumstances we are inclined to 

 suppose that analogous phaenomena are produced whenever the ar- 

 rangement of the elements of oleine and stearine is disturbed. — 

 Journal de Pharmacie, Nov. 1826. 



SEPARATION OF THE COLOURING MATTER OF MADDER. 



The Socieie Industrietle of Mulhausen (Departement du Haut 

 Rhin) have offered the following prizes : 



1st. A prize of three hundred francs for a ready and easy method 

 of determining the comparative values of different kinds of madder. 



2d. A prize of six hundred francs, (to which a zealous member of 

 the Society will add six hundred more,) for a process for separating 



the 



