1820.] Physical Science dnriu<r the Year 1819. 89 



pretty lively flame, and leaves behind it a light spongy charcoal, 

 difficult to incinerate. _ • , . i u 



Zimome is obtained pure by boding gluten in a cohol, or by 

 digesting it in that hquid till it ceases to give out gliadine. Ihus 

 obtained, it constitutes a shapeless mass, which is hard, tough, 

 destitute of cohesion, and of an ash-white colour. When 

 washed in water, it recovers part of its viscosity and becomes 

 nuicklv brown when left in contact with the air. It is specihcally 

 heavier than water. Its mode of fermenting is no longer that of 

 duten for when it putrifies, it exhales a fetid urinous odour. 

 It dissolves completely in vinegar, and in the mineral acids at a 

 boihng temperature. With caustic potash, it combmes, and 

 forms a kind of soap. When put into lime water, or into solu- 

 tions of the alkahne carbonates, it becomes harder, and assumes 

 a new appearance. When 1 brown upon red-hot coals, it exhales 

 an odour similar to that of burning hair or hools, and burns with 



3 Camphor.— \ have given in a late number of the Annals of 

 Philosophy, the result of my experiments to ascertain the consti- 

 tuents of bamphor. This substance I find melts when heated to 

 288°, and boils at the temperature of 400°. Its constituents are : 



8-1- atoms carbon = 6-376 or 73-91 



lO' atoms hydrogen . . . . = 1-250 14-49 

 1 atom oxygen = 1-000 H-o O 



8-625 100-00 



{Annals of Philosophy, xv. 392.) 

 4. Galbanuin.—M. Meisner has found galbanuni composed of 

 the following constituents : 



Resin 65;8 



Gum. 22 b 



Cerasin 1'^ 



Mahc acid 0-2 



Volatile oil 3-4 



Vegetable debris ~'8 



Loss 3-4 



1000 



(Ibid. xiv. 385.) 

 5 Root of Jesuit's Bark,— It has been ascertained that the 

 root possesses the febrifuge properties in fully as great perfection 

 as the bark of the cinchona. It is obvious, however, that it 

 could not be employed, except at the hazard of destroying 

 entirely the best trees. (Jour, de Pharm. v. 44.) 



6. Gentian.— The root of the gentiana lutea has been subjected 

 to analysis by M. Henry, who extracted from it the following 

 substances : 



