52 Improvements in Physical Science (JAN. 
platinus occidentalis, or plane-tree, gave to the same chemist the 
following constituents : 
Water. A very small quantity of gammy 
Resin, soluble only in boiling | matter. 3 
alcohol. Phosphoric acid. 
Caoutchouc. Salts. 
18. M. Gaultier de Claubry has lately analyzed several species of 
fuci. (Ann. de Chimie, vol. xciii. p. 75, 113.) The following are 
the results which he obtained. 
Fucus saccharinus yielded the following constituents : 
A peculiar saccharine matter. Muriate of magnesia. 
Mucilage. Sulphureted sulphite of soda. 
Albumen. Subcarbonate of potash. 
Green colouring matter. ——- soda. 
Oxalic acid) both, probably, «{ Hydriodate of potash. 
Malic acid f unitedto potash. | Silica. 
Sulphate of potash. Subphosphate of lime. 
soda. magnesia. 
magnesia. Oxide of iron, probably combined 
Muriate of potash. with phosphoric acid. ; 
Common salt. Oxalate of lime. 
The constituents of the fucus digitatus were similar; but the 
quantity of iodine which it contained was smaller. 
The fucus vesiculosus contained a vegeto-animal matter which 
separated from the aqueous decoction. during the evaporation, and 
which appeared to give the disagreeable taste and odour by which 
that liquid is distinguished. It contained likewise a vegetable mat- 
ter, soluble in water and alcohol, of a sweetish taste, which became 
at last bitter: and a vegetable matter, soluble in alcohol, which 
precipitated during the evaporation in. a reddish-green powder. 
Finally, it contained the same salts as the fucus saccharinus, though 
in very different proportions. It contained very little iodine. 
Professor John published an analysis of this fucus from the Baltic 
Sea, in the month of August last, (Schweigger’s Journal, vol. xiii. 
p. 464). He obtained from 100 parts of the dried plant the fol- 
lowing substances : 
A brownish red mucilaginous matter 
Flesh-red extractive, with some sulphate aoa 4 
muriate of soda. 
A peculiaracid. 
Resinoas:Satty Matter 5)... is aiew eed sccas weer 
Sulphate of soda with some common salt........ 3°13 
Sulphate of lime with much sulphate of mag- “12587 
nesia and some phosphate of lime } 
Some oxides of magnesia and iron. 
A membranous matter, which John calls fucous 
albumen Q 
Silica ? 
100 
