T 



142 Scientifc Intelligence, 



sodium. The process should be conducted in a crucible of alumina which 

 is to be heated to redness before putting in the mixture of chlorids. Tn 

 the case of the fusible metals it is well to add to the whole a little double 

 chlorid of sodium and potassium. Deville and Damour are now apply- 

 ing this process to the cerium metals. Sodium attacks porcelain at a low 

 red heat with such energy that there is always danger of introducing sili- 

 con into metals reduced in such vessels. This perhaps ex2>lains the dift'er- 

 QXice between the properties of chromium as prepared by Fi'emy and that 

 "repared by Deville and Bunsen, the latter being readily soluble in chlor- 

 ydric acid giving a blue solution of the protocblorid. In conclusion, 

 the author again recommends the employment of crucibles of lime which 

 refine the metals fused in them. The platinum metals fused in such 

 crucibles present properties very different from those usually attributed 

 to them, the lime serving to deprive them of osmium and silicon. 

 Comptes Rendus^ xllv, 6Y3, March SOth^ 1857, 



6. On the amids of the monobasic acids, — Caitours has found that the 

 amids of benzoic, toluic, and anisic acids obtained by reducing nitro-ben- 

 2oic, &c, acids by means of sulphydric acid or acetate of iron, and become 

 known as benzamic acid, &c., behave like bases as well as like acids, and 

 from classes of well defined salts. The chlorhydratcs of these bases 

 closely resemble those of the alkaloids and from well crystallized chlor- 

 platinates, GlycocoU forms precisely similar compounds. The author 

 pointe out tlie fact that glycocoU bears the same relation to a mononitro- 

 acetic acid which benzamid does to a nitrobenzoic acid, since we have 



Ca4H5(NO4)04+6HS=6S+4HO-fCi4H7NO4 

 C4H3(N04)04-1-6HS=6S+4HO+C4H5N04. 



As clilorid of benzoyl by acting on glycocoll-zinc yields hippuric acid^ 

 Cahours has found that the chlorid of cumyl and anisyl yield analogous 

 products by their action upon glycocoll-silver. The ^^roducts liave the 

 formulas 



Cuminuric acid, C24ni5X06 



Anisuric acid, CsoHiiN'Os. 



As might be expected, the same chlorids by acting upon benzamate of 

 silver, <fec,, yield new acids also analogous to hippuric acid. From these 

 facts it is clear that there exists a strong analogy between the amlc acids 

 and glycosin, alanin, leucin, &c. — Comptes JRendus, xliv, 567. 



7. On a new series of organo4hionic acids. — Hobson has described a 

 new acid obtained by the action of sulphurous acid upon zinc-ethyl, and 

 named by him ethylo-trithionic acid- When sulphurous acid gas is 

 brought into contact with zinc-ethyl a rapid absorption takes place with the 

 evolution of much heat, and the whole contents of the flask are converted 

 gradually into a white mass of minute crystals. These form the zinc salt 

 of the new acid and have the formula as the author writes it : 



Zno, S3 1 ^^' I +no. 



The formation of the acid is easily explained by the equation 



Zn , C4H5+ 3SO-2= ZnO-f S.i(C4n5) Os. 



