4162 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



time and much care it is either separated or destroyed and crystalliza- 

 tion takes place. 



2nd. That the yellow resinous matter which accompanies quina more 

 than cinchonia, appears to change its properties much ; this yellow 

 matter the authors succeeded in destroying, but without being able to 

 collect it separately in a perfect state. It appears to differ from the 

 yellow colouring matter of the bark, which is fixed by alumina, oxide 

 of lead and of tin. 



3rd. That this yellow matter especially influences the crystallizations. 



4 th. That the most certain method of clearing the mother waters from 

 it, are the addition of turpentine, repeated precipitation and solutions 

 in the acids, and concentration by cold. 



The experiments were made by MM. Henry and Delondre, and 

 always with the same results ; they operated upon the mother 

 waters remaining after the treatment about two hundred thousand 

 pounds of yellow bark, and they always separated from this suspected 

 matter the portion of quina and cinchonia, the crystallization of which 

 it had prevented. — Journal de Pharmacie, March 1830. 



CHEMICAL ACTION OF LIGHT. 



The following facts are cited by M. Fischer, as proper to be added to 

 those which demonstrate the chemical action of light upon organic mat- 

 ter. If a solution of ferro-prussiate of potash be precipitated by alcohol, 

 and the precipitate be quickly collected and dissolved in water, the 

 solution, exposed to light, will pass rapidly from yellow to green, and 

 at length prussian blue will be deposited. The solution becomes at 

 the same time alkaline ; and if the experiment be made in a close ves- 

 sel, on examining the liquid, the odour of hydrocyanic acid will be per- 

 ceived. The salt is indeed partly decomposed in this action. Prussian 

 blue, sometimes with excess of oxide of iron, is formed and deposited, 

 and the hydrocyanate of potash remains in solution. The same mo- 

 difications may take place in a common solution of ferro-prussiate, 

 but time is in that case necessary. It cannot take place without the 

 presence of light. In darkness this salt (the ferro-prussiate of potash) 

 crystallizes in large quadrangular plates ; but exposed to a vivid light, 

 it loses gradually the power of assuming this figure, and becomes pul- 

 verulent, and is deposited in dendritic forms. 



The presence of organic matters, such as gum, starch, sugar, alcohol, 

 &G. greatly increases the action of light in solutions of gold and silver. 

 — Bib. Univ., June 1829. 



DR. Webster's dictionary. 

 The very valuable Dictionary of Dr. Webster lately published 

 in America, and now reprinting with additions in this country, will 

 at some future time probably claim a fuller notice as an important 

 contribution to the philosophy of language. From the three Parts 

 which have appeared, it will be seen that, among other recom- 

 mendations, it contains, what cannot be found in other English 

 Dictionaries, an explanation of Terms in the various branches of 

 Science and Art adapted to their state at the present period. 



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