Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



stances to which it is applied, it would probably cause no 

 change in the brilliancy or beauty of those substances, so justly 

 valued for their utility and beauty, and so difficult to preserve 

 without the most watchful attention. 



J. M. 



14. Decomposition of Blood. M. Vauquelin had occasion to 

 observe the changes produced in five years, in the fluid ob- 

 tained by washing coagulated bullocks' blood. It appears at 

 first to have contained the serum, and a considerable portion 

 of the colouring matter of the blood, and the results at the end 

 of the time mentioned were : 



1. A large quantity of carbonic acid. 



2. A large quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen. 



3. A large quantity of acetic acid. 



4. Ammonia which saturated these acids. 



5. An acid and very fetid volatile oil, saturating part of the 

 ammonia. These substances did not exist previously in the 

 blood. 



6. It appears that the fixed fatty matter which was found, had 

 existed in the blood previously, as a similar matter was found 

 in recent blood. 



7. That the albumen was almost entirely decomposed, slight 

 traces only remaining, and so altered in its nature that it 

 rather resembled glue than albumen. 



8. That the colouring matter remained entirely unchanged. 



9. That the blood did not appear to contain phosphorus. 



M. Vauquelin remarks that the quantity of sulphur in blood 

 is much larger than is generally imagined, amounting to two 

 grammes (about 30 grains) in a litre (2 pints). This sulphur 

 had separated spontaneously from the fluid, and formed a ring 

 just above its surface on the glass. Ann. de Chim, xvi. p. 363. 



15. Diod yriafol. A liquor is brewed from the berries of the 

 mountain ash, in North Walef, called diod griafol, by only 

 crushing and putting water to them. After standing for a fort- 

 night it is fit for use, its flavour somewhat resembles perry. 



16. Formation of Alcohol, by fluoboric Gas. Some very 

 interesting experiments are detailed in a short paper published 

 in the Annales de Chimie, xvi, p. 72, on the action of fluoboric 

 gas on alcohol. They are by M. Desfosses of Besancon. The 

 gas was sent into a portion of alcohol, which became very 

 ethereal in odour, and very acid, even so as to fume. The fluid 

 was distilled, and then rectified, first from potassa and after- 

 wards from chloride of calcium. The ether thus obtained, was 

 entirely analogous to sulphuric ether. It burnt like it, and gave 

 no acid fumes. The specific gravity was .75, being rather 

 greater than that of pure ether, but it hud not been washed so 



