586 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



sulphuretted hydrogen and tincture of galls have no effect upon 

 solutions of the oxide. 



The oxide of donarium exhibits no characteristic reaction with 

 the blowpipe. On charcoal alone it is unalterable ; fused with soda, 

 it forms a bead, in which the particles of the oxide float undissolved, 

 and on cooling may easily be distinguished with a lens by their red 

 colour; with borax and with microcosmic salt it gives a yellowish 

 bead, which on cooling becomes colourless. — Poggendorff 's Annalen, 

 April 18, 1851. 



MODE OF DISTINGUISHING ARTIFICIAL FROM NATURAL 

 CAMPHOR. BY J. W. BAILEY. 



By the application of polarized light, the smallest portion of 

 natural camphor may be distinguished from the artificial camphor 

 (chlorohydrate of camphene). If small fragments of each be placed 

 separately on glass slides, and a drop of alcohol added to each, they 

 dissolve and speedily recrystallize. If the crystallization of the 

 natural camphor is watched by means of the microscope and po- 

 larized light, a most beautiful display of coloured crystals is seen, 

 while with the artificial product uotliing of the kind is witnessed. 

 — Silliman's Journal, May 1851. 



ON THE DETECTION OF SULPHUR. BY J. VV. BAILEY. 



Dr. Playfair's beautiful salt, the nitroprusside of soda, is justly 

 recommended by its discoverer as the most delicate of all tests for 

 alkaline sulphides [sulphurets]*. An application of it which is very 

 obvious, although not alluded to by Dr. Playfair, is to employ it not 

 only as a direct test for alkaline sulphurets. but as an indirect one 

 for sulphur in any of its compounds. Any substance containing 

 sulphur will yield an alkaline sulphuret if heated with carbonate of 

 soda, either with or without the addition of carbonaceous matter, 

 according as a deoxidizing action is or is not required. The mag- 

 nificent purple which is then produced by the addition of the fused 

 mass to a drop of the solution of the nitroprusside will at once prove 

 the presence of sulphur. This reaction is so easily obtained and is 

 so decisive, that the nitroprusside of soda must take its place among 

 the most useful adjuncts to the blowpipe tests. By means of it the 

 presence of sulphur in the smallest particles of coagulated albumen, 

 horn, nails, feathers, mustard seed, arc, which can be conveniently 

 supported on a platinum wire for blowpipe experiment, may be most 

 distinctly shown ; and I have repeatedly obtained the characteristic 

 purple tint in operating upon a i)iece of a single fibre of the human 

 hair less than an inch in length. — Silliman's Journal, May 1851. 



* See London, Edinburgh and Dublin Phil. Mag., vol. xxxvi. p. 208. 



