316 Intelligeiice and Miscellatieous Articles. 



and nitrate of silver gave an abundant precipitate in the solution ; 

 they appeared to be entirely muriate of ammonia. The yellow cry- 

 stals obtained in the first experiment became colourless when heated, 

 and the colour Avas probably owing to an excess of hydrocyanic acid : 

 no gas was evolved when the acids were mixed. 



Sulphuric acid added to the hydrocyanic gave no crystals until the 

 mixture was heated ; by this operation an inflammable gas, pro- 

 bably carburetted hydrogen, was plentifully evolved; the mixture 

 remained colourless, and on cooling solidified into a colourless cry- 

 stalline mass, which was sulphate of ammonia. — Annales de Chimie, 

 xl. p.441. 



NEW PRINCIPLE OBTAINED FROM ALBUMEN. 



M. Couerbe exposed a concentrated solution of white of egg to 

 the air, the temperature varying from 32° Fahr. to several degrees 

 below it. The albuminous mass, without coagulating, became rather 

 thicker, and at the expiration of a month it gave a membranous 

 network in considerable abundance, and a fluid, upon which but few 

 experiments were made. During this time no putrid gas was 

 evolved; the fluid yielded carbonate of ammonia by decomposition ; 

 this circumstance proves that it is to be considered as the animal 

 part of the albumen. The network membrane, which was most par- 

 ticularly examined, possessed the following properties : — it is solid, 

 white, translucid, and of a membrano-foliaceous structure ; it is in- 

 sipid and inodorous, and easily reduced to powder. 



Exposed to the action of heat, in a tube closed at one end, it de- 

 composed without fusing, and gave all the products of a non-azotized 

 body : during calcination, it swells up and gives a light voluminous 

 charcoal, which it is difficult to incinerate. When treated with oxide 

 of copper in a proper apparatus, it yielded merely carbonic acid and 

 water. 



Cold water does not dissolve the smallest portion of this mem- 

 brane ; it merely remains between the foliaceous laminae and softens 

 it ; boiling water swells, without dissolving it, divides it a little and 

 gives it the appearance of an insoluble mucilage ; it is not acted upon 

 by alcohol, sulphuric aether, or acetic acid, either hot or cold. At 

 common temperatures it merely swells in concentrated sulphuric 

 acid ; but it is carbonized on the slightest application of heat, and 

 gives an agreeable aromatic odour ; the mixture is insoluble in 

 water ; the acid only combines with it, and the carbon is precipi- 

 tated or remains partly suspended. In the cold, nitric acid acts but 

 feebly upon it, but vvhen heated the membrane is dissolved, with the 

 evolution of nitrous gas. Hot muriatic acid is the best solvent of 

 the new substance ; the solution is colourless, and does not become 

 turbid by cooling ; when water is added to the solution, il becomes 

 of an opake white, and deposits a powder of extreme tenacity. 



Subjected to the action of potash and heat, the membranous sub- 

 stance dissolves ; the solution is decomposed by muriatic acid and 

 becomes turbid, but does not give any deposit in twenty-four hours. 

 Ibid. p. 323. 



