hitelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 313 



stated, that peroxide of potassium is formed ; and it appeared to me 

 probable, that the quantity was sufficient to supply the deficiency 

 of about 4i per cent of oxygen in Berthollet s expe.iment.-R. V. 



PHOSPHURETTED HYDROGEN GAS. 

 M Viala finds that when phosphorus is introduced into a receiver 

 containing a weak solution of an alkali, phosphuretted hydrogen is 

 formed, and evolved in a \•e^^ hours without the application ot heat.- 

 Journ. de Pharm. Feb. 18'.^T. 



ACIDS DISCOVERED IN CASTOR OIL. 



MM.Bussv andLecanu have obtained three new tatty acids from 

 castor oil: one, which they call rkimc aad, is fusible at /2 Fahr ; 

 another, termed elaiodic acid, is fiuid at several degrees below „2 ; 

 and the third they have denominated mnrganticaad; tlus crystal- 

 f. % , ^ „„,! • „„^ fnsi'ntp helow 26i°. These acids are 



izes in fine scales, and is not tusioie oeiow z,o* . x , , . 



volatile, more or less soluble in alcohol, and perfectly insoluble in 

 water; and they form salts of very distinct characters, with several 

 bases, and especially with magnesia and oxide ot lead. 



When castor oil is distilled in a retort in the common way, theie 

 are obtained a small quantity of gas, water, and acetic acid, a co- 

 lourless crystallizable volatile oil, ricinic and elaiodic acids, which 

 condense with the oil in the receiver, and a solid matter winch re- 

 mains in the retort. The quantities ot acid and o the vola ile oil 

 are nearly equal, and form nearly a third of the o. employed ; the 

 solid matter constitutes nearly the remaining two-thirds 



This is a very singular substance: it is of a yellowish white co- 

 lour, full of cavities, and somewhat resembhng the crumb of new 

 bread It is insoluble in water, alcohol, aether, the volatile and fixed 

 oils 'it is dissolved by the alkalies, with which it forms a kmd ot 

 soap. It is not decomposed at a high temperature, inflames when 

 exposed to an ignited body and burns very r6adily without melting. 

 When, instead of distilling castor oil, it is treated with a solution 

 of potash or soda, it saponifies even more readily than olive oil, and 

 there are formed ricinates, elaiodates, margaritates^ and glycenr.. 

 No other product appears ; the glycerin amounts to about a fifteenth 

 part of the oil, the margaritic acid about one-thousandth, and the 

 remainder is constituted of the other acids. Ihese salts are very 

 soluble in water, and act like ordinary soaps; the smallness of the 

 quantity of margaritic acid will account for its not being found m 

 the product of the distillation. — Ibid. 



SUPPOSED CHLORATE OF MANGANESE IN THE NATIVE 

 PEROXIDE. 



Mr. Mac MuUin having observed (Institution Journal, vol.xxii. 

 p. 231 ) when sulphuric acid is added to peroxide of manganese that 

 chlorine is evolved, he conceived it might be derived hom a.i ad- 

 mixture of muriate of manganese, iron, or copper ; but having xv asn- 

 ed some of the peroxide with water, he did not find tl-'t any chlo- 

 ride of silver was precipitable from it; he thereiore concluded that 

 the peroxide in question contained no muriatic salt. 



AVw Series. \'ol. 1. No. 4.. April 1827. '2. S Mr- 



