394 Intelligence and Miscellafieous Articles. 



Experiment. 

 Calculation. , --^- 



C«' 252 51-4 



H^^ 22 4-5 



N" 56 11-4 



O'o 160 32-7 



490 100- 



1 equivalent of brucia C" H-« N'^ 



3 . . nitric acid .... H^ N^ 



Q2} H'i' N^ 0'3 



Deducting 



1 equivalent of nitrous aether .... C^ H'' N O'^ 



1 ,, water H° O 



There remains 1 equivalent C-' H^a N* O'o of cacothelin. 



The colour of this substance and the action of heat upon it prove 

 that it contains nitrous acid, and that the formula is probably 

 C'-' H-2 X' N- 0«. Treated with ammonia it immediately dissolves 

 in it, and gives a yellow liquid, which by ebullition becomes first 

 green and afterwards brown, and is a new base insoluble in water 

 or alcohol, but still contains nitrous acid. It dissolves immediately 

 in hydrochloric acid, and this solution forms a yellow gelatinous 

 precipitate ; with ammonia and bichloride of platina it gives an 

 orange-red precipitate, the colour of which is heightened considerably 

 by drying; when it is perfectly dry the colour is so deep as to appear 

 perfectly black, with golden-green reflexion. If it be moistened 

 with a drop of alcohol, its orange-red colour is restored. 



If it be very strongly dried in a porcelain capsule, it assumes a 

 rich rose tint mixed with blue ; a drop of alcohol restores its orange- 

 red colour. This platina salt dissolves in hot sulphuric acid, and 

 gives it a fine rose colour, which at a higher temperature becoines 

 lilac-blue. When calcined it decomposes, giving sparks, and leaving 

 about 23 per cent, of platina. 



The action of nitric acid upon brucia has been recently again 

 examined in the laboratory of Giessen. There has been found at 

 leno-th a very volatile liquid, containing as much carbon as nitrous 

 rether, but more hydrogen. Nevertheless, observes M . Laurent, they 

 will not give way, which, he adds, is readily conceivable. — Ann. de 

 Ch.et de Pkys., AvtH 1848. 



ON A NEW METHOD OF ESTIMATING ARSENIC, ANTIMONY AND 

 TIN. BY PROF. H. ROSE. 



Chloride of ammonium can be usefully employed in analytical in- 

 vestigations, from its property of decomposing several oxides at a 

 high temperature and iorming with tiie metals highly volatile chlo- 

 rides. The experiments frequently give far more accurate results, 

 in the shortest time and with the least trouble, than have hitherto 

 been obtained by the usual methods of analysis. 



