Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 239 



gradually pouring an alcoholic solution of iodine into the solution 

 obtained from the starch extracted cold from bruised grain, he 

 found its fine deep indigo blue colour gradually disappear by the 

 action of heat, and at about 175° to 195° of Fahr. it entirely disap- 

 peared, the fluid remaining transparent. 



It was at first supposed that the iodide of amidine had been de- 

 composed by the heat; but this was not the case, for on cooling, the 

 blue colour gradually reappeared, and eventually became as dark as 

 at first. This experiment of the alternate destruction and repro- 

 duction of colour may be several times repeated, provided the heat 

 be not continuediongerthan is required todecolourize the liquor; and 

 a few minutes' boiling beyond this point destroys the power of re- 

 production. In this, however, it did not appear that the iodine was 

 volatilized by the vapour of water, as might be supposed; for it is 

 found, in part, in the decolourized liquor in the state of hydriodic 

 acid, mixed with a portion of undecomposed amidine; and the addi- 

 tion of a few drops of a weak solution of chlorine explains why the 

 blue colour is reproduced by this chemical agent. — Journal de 

 Chimie Medicate, August 1833. 



COMPOSITION OF ATROPIA. 



M. Liebig found that 38*2 parts of very white atropia, dried by 

 exposure to the air, gave 97*9 of carbonic acid and 28 parts of water": 

 3 1-2 parts absorbed 5-9 of dry muriatic acid gas, 100, therefore, would 

 take 18-59. 



At the instant the acid came into contact with the atropia it 

 melted, and yielded a yellow transparent mass, very soluble in water, 

 and which reddened litmus. This salt by evaporation crystallized 

 in brilliant star-shaped groups. According to this, the atomic weight 

 of atropia is 2-400. If the quantity of azote which it contains be 

 calculated by that of the muriatic acid which it absorbs, we obtain, 

 according to the above analysis, 



Azote 7519 



Carbon 70-986 



Water 8144 



Muriatic acid 13-351 



100- 

 Calculated according to its atomic weight, it will be found to con- 

 sist of 



2 atoms of Azote 177036 7-55 



22 Carbon 1681162 71-68 



30 Hydrogen .... 187*144 7-98 



3 Oxygen 300- 1272 



2345-392 99-73 



When atropia is heated with a solution of potash, ammonia is 

 abundantly evolved. — Ibid. August 1833, 



