268 Translations and abstracts from the French. 
The action of the perchloride of cyanogen on the animal 
economy, is very deleterious; a grain dissolved in alcohol 
and introduced into the esophagus of a rabbit killed it in- 
stantly. An ounce of water in which another grain had been 
agitated, and filtered so as to separate the greater portion 
which remained undissolved, killed in twenty five minutes 
another rabbit which had been made to swallow it. The 
experiments of M. Serulas, to ascertain the composition of 
the chloride of cyanogen, results as follows :-— 
Chlorine, . - - .7346=2 atoms. 
Cyanogen, - - - .2654=1 atom. 
Cyanic Acid.—This is also a new compound, evidently 
differing in some important particulars, from either of the 
two substances described as cyanic acid—the one by Wéh- 
ler who did not succeed in isolating it—and the other by 
Liebig and Gay Lussac, who ascertained the existence of a 
eran acid in the fulminating compounds of mercury and 
silver. : . 
__M. Serulas has shown that among the most remarkable 
characteristic properties of perchloride of cyanogen, is that 
as tartrates, oxalates, phosphates, iodates,&c. This con- 
.. The cyanic acid is solid, very 
