310 Scientific Intelligence. [Oct. 



Combinations of Muriatic Acid and Mercury, was first given to 

 the world in 1769, speaks of the term calomel precisely in the 

 same manner as Spielmann. What was the reason of applying 

 so odd a name as calonidas to this preparation, and how came 

 the term to acquire such universal currency in Great Britain? I 

 should suppose that it would be easy for some of the editors of 

 the Journal de Pharmacie to discover the history of this term, 

 which originated in France. If they can throw any hght on the 

 subject, 1 should take it as a favour if they would publish the 

 results of their inquiries ; for I myself have not been so fortu- 

 nate, during the course of my reading, as to meet with any 

 satisfactory account of this word. 



VII. Karplwlite. By Mr. G. B. Sowerby. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 

 SIR, Lisle-street, Leicester-square, Aug. 14, 1820. 



A substance named Karpholite, by Werner, on account of the 

 general resemblance it bears in colour to straw, is noticed at p. 72, in 

 No. XCI. of your Annals. Its colour is there said to be "intense 

 straw yellow,' sometimes, though seldom, wax yellow ; " to these 

 two colours might be added " perfectly white." It is there 

 said to be " always amorphous," and the " fracture " is said to 

 be " fibrous ; " this, with respect to mineralogical description, 

 appears to me to be quite a new language. If a substance be 

 always amorphous, I know not how it can have a fibrous fracture. 

 It is true, a substance may be said to be amorphous if, occurring 

 in masses, those masses cannot be said to have any definite 

 external form ; but I am not aware that this meaning has ever 

 been given to the term amorphous ; and if it were so, it is veiy 

 incorrectly applied in the present instance ; for the karpholite 

 generally occurs in very distinctly diverging fibrous concretions, 

 the fibres being of a very crystalhne structure, and somewhat 

 transparent; the substance seems to possess a high degree of 

 lustre, and to be very brittle ; so that at every minute cross 

 fracture the light is reflected, and the strongly glimmering cha- 

 racter is produced ; the longitudinal arrangement of the fibres 

 also produces the satiny lustre. It occurs also in an amorphous 

 state in which its fracture is finely earthy, and the substance is 

 white. This last variety appears to result from the decomposition 

 of the mineral. I cannot state with certainty what the nature of 

 the rock in which it occurs is, but I think it is granite, though 

 if it be, the feldspar is with difBculty distinguishable : it very 

 nearly resembles the stone in which the crystallized mica of 

 Zinnwald and Schlackenroad occurs, and the karpholite is some- 

 times found filling vesicles in a dark-green irregularly crystaUized 

 mica. I am, Sir, your very obedient servant, 



G. B. Sowerby. 



*^* The description of the karpholite inserted in No. XCI. of 



