586 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 
The mean of three analyses by carbonate of potash gave, 
Calculated. 
Protoxide of antimony .. 74°51 74:54 
Protochloride of antimony 25°70 25°46 
100°21 100-00 
After having prepared sulphuretted hydrogen by muriatic acid 
slightly diluted with water and sulphuret of antimony, it will be ob- 
served that the solution remaining with the undissolved sulphuret 
becomes red on cooling. If it be added to a great quantity of water, 
an abundant yellowish precipitate is obtained, which, after some days, 
becomes a thin stratum of small crystals of a fine red colour. These 
crystals are merely the oxichloride coloured with variable quantities 
of sulphuret of antimeny.—Ann. de Ch. et de Ph., lix, 220. 
ON POTATOE STARCH. BY M. GUERIN-VARY. 
The author divides his memoir into two parts. In the first he ex- 
amines what substances accompany potatoe starch prepared with di- 
stilled water, and considers several problems, including those proposed 
by the commission of the Academy for examining the memoirs on 
starch fecula, The second part contains the proximate analysis of 
starch, as well as ultimate analysis of this substance, of amidine, of 
exterior amidin (de l’amidin tégumentaire), of soluble amidin, and of 
the exteriors (tégumens) insoluble in water and deprived of the pro- 
perty of becoming blue with iodine. 
In a former memoir M. Guérin has stated that potatoe starch, when 
prepared with distilled water, contains, as foreign organic bodies, only 
chlorophylle, and asubstance of a waxy appearance. M.Payen, on the 
contrary, recognises in starch, besides other inorganic substances, a 
volatile oil ready formed; and he also states that every specimen of 
potatoe starch that he has examined possessed the property of re- 
storing reddened litmus paper to its original colour, and contained 
carbonate of lime. M. Guérin in this memoir shows that the alkaline 
property of starch noticed by M. Payen is owing to the water which 
is used for washing it; and that volatile oil does not exist ready 
formed in the exteriors of starch, MM. Dubrunfaut and Beudant 
stating that it is formed during the alcoholic fermentation of starch. 
After noticing dextrine bread, M. Guérin gives the solutions of se- 
veral problems, and arrives at the following conclusions : 
Ist. Iodine has the same action on starch in water deprived of air, 
as it has when the air is not expelled. 
2nd. Starch heated only with either pure or saline water, in a close 
vessel, gives a distilled liquor, which does not become blue on the 
addition of iodine. 
3rd. When starch is treated with diastase and water, in a retort 
containing or not containing air, the distilled liquid does not turn 
blue with iodine. 
4th. Pure fecula exposed to air by itself, or moistened with water 
for 48 hours at 113° or 115°, does not give rise to any carbonic nor 
acetic acid, and does not appear altered under the microscope. Thus 
the property of germinating, which is lost by the grains of certain de- 
