Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 155 



indicate azote as one of its elements ; and by this it is also distin- 

 guished from brucia. The only circumstances which require notice 

 in the angustura bark are, that it contains rather a large quantity 

 of pectine and no copper. 



Cusparia is not poisonous, even in large doses ; its properties 

 appear to approach those of quina, gentianine and salicine. When 

 the watery and acid extract of the bark is treated with animal char- 

 coal, alcohol, &Ci, there may be obtained by crystallization about 



l.MOOOdthsofthe weight of the bark employed Journal de Chimic 



Medicate, July 1833. 



SEPARATION OF OSMIUM AND IRIDIUM. 



M. Person gives the following as a simple and easy process for se- 

 parating osmium and iridium : Mix one part of the insoluble residue 

 of platina (osmium and iridium) with two pails of carbonate of soda, 

 and two and a half parts of sulphur: calcine the mixture, and lixiviate 

 the product. He obtains by this process sulphurets of osmium and 

 iridium, which are to be mixed with three times their weight of sul- 

 phate of mercury, and the whole is to be put into a retort, furnished 

 with an adopter and receiver, and the retort is to be made red hot. 

 All the osmium volatilizes, and passes into the receiver in the state of 

 a blue oxisulphuret ; part of it also remains in the neck of the retort, 

 combined with mercury and oxygen. By heating both these com- 

 pounds in hydrogen, metallic osmium is obtained: the iridium re- 

 mains in the retort in the state of oxide. Sometimes it retains traces 

 of osmium which are to be separated by potash : from the pure oxide 

 iridium is easily obtained. — Ibid. 



ACTION OF BISULPHATE OF POTASH AND CHLORIDE OF 

 POTASSIUM ON CERTAIN METALS. 

 M. Person states that a remarkable action takes place with bisul- 

 phate of potash, an alkaline chloride, and such metals as form chloro- 

 salts, such, for example, as those contained in the ore of platina : the 

 sulphuric becomes sulphurous acid, its oxygen combines with the 

 metal of the chloride, and the chlorine is evolved ; then combining 

 with the metal present, it forms an acid chloride capable of combining 

 with the undecomposed portion of the alkaline chloride, and a double 

 salt is formed. — Ibid. 



FERMANG ANESIATE OF POTASH. 



M. Wbhler gives the following process for preparing this salt: Fuse 

 chlorate of potash in a platina crucible over a spirit lamp: dissolve a 

 bit of hydrate of potash in it, and add some peroxide of manganese ; 

 this also dissolves, producing a very fine green colour. There are then 

 formed green manganesiate of potash and chloride of potassium. The 

 ■nasi is to be dissolved in boiling water; the green colour changes to 

 a brilliant purple, because the manganesiate becomes permangane- 

 siate. Decant, for the solution will not filter, and evaporate it. Small 

 black opakc crvstals, with a greenish tint and a metallic lustre of 

 pcrmaiigancsiate, are obtained, mixed with chloride of potassium. 



This salt is isomorphous with the heptachloratc of potash: they 

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