Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 293 



cury ; as the iron is not amalgamated, the mercury separates in the 

 form of globules. 



While zinc entirely precipitates the mercury from a solution of 

 the protonitrate, it cannot decompose the protochloride even when 

 recently precipitated and in the presence of water. The insolubility 

 of the salt is by no means the cause of tliis phEenomenon, as the 

 chloride of silver is most quickly and rapidly decomposed by zinc 

 in the presence of water. Even on tlie addition of hydrochloric 

 acid, the protochloride is not decomposed by zinc, or only to a very 

 small extent when it has been left for several days in contact with 

 it and the acid. Scarcely any evolution of gas is perceptilile in this 

 instance; nevertheless the liquid, after a short time, contains oxide 

 of zinc in solution. 



The insoluble protosulphate of mercury is likewise not reduced 

 by zinc in contact with water ; however, after several days some 

 oxide of zinc has dissolved, and the zinc is slightly amalgamated, 

 more is reduced M'hen dilute sulphuric acid is added, but still tiie 

 quantity is very inconsiderable ; there is no evolution of gas, but 

 nevertheless the zinc is amalgamated. — Poggendorff's ^/?/^rt/e«. 



ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE ORGANIC ALKALIES. 

 BY M. AUG. LAURENT. 



The author observes that the elementary analysis of the organic 

 alkalies is attended with great difficulty, for a difference of two- or 

 three-thousandths of hydrogen is sufficient to change their atomic 

 formula. The greater number of analyses show an excess of hy- 

 drogen over the calculated result, which usually amounts to the 

 quantities above-mentioned, or about one equivalent. The author 

 contrived an apparatus to ascertain whether he could not determine 

 the hydrogen to about one-thousandth ; and he remarks that two 

 formulae are given for morphia ; that by Liebig being C^^ H^s N- O^, 

 and that by Regnault Css H" N^O^. The result of the author's 

 analysis is stated by him to be — 



C3* 25500 



H38 237-5 



N2 175-0 



06 600-0 



3562-5 



And he further observes, that the analyses of Liebig and Regnault 

 were cidculated according to the ancient atomic weight of carbon ; 

 whereas with the number 75 the results of Regnault's analysis would 

 be the same as his, or 71-7 and 71-85. 



Quinu. — M. Liebig's formula for this alkali is C'^° H'-^ N^ O^, 

 which, according to M. Regnault, ought to be doubled. M. Lau- 

 rent repeatedly crystallized sulphate of quina, then extracted the 

 alkali, and dissolved it in a;ther ; the solution was evaporated, and the 

 quina kept for a long time in fusion and then analysed. The results 

 were — 



