Chemistry and Physics. 259 
white crystalline mass resembling china wax. It is lighter than water, 
in which it is insoluble, tasteless and nearly inodorous; it fuses at 40° C., 
and boils at 178° C., distilling without alteration. nalysis gives for its 
formula C,;H,,0, and its formation is by the polymorphosis of two 
equivalents of caprylate; 2C,H,,BaO,—CO,Ba,=C, .H,,0. 
It is not affected by potash, nor by nitric acid in the cold; by heat 
the action of the latter is violent, yielding a yellow compound which ° 
forms detonating salts and is evidently a nitrized acid. T. 8. H. 
9. On the determination of Nitrogen; by Noewuner, (Ann. der 
Chem. und Pharm., Ixvi, 314.)—In the determination of nitrogen 
und Pharm., Ixvii, —The author had already suggested the ex- 
istence of phenol in this substance, and has been able. to verify it by 
distilling the castoreum wit er, when allportion of an oil 
liquid having all the reactions of phenol was obtained. The residue of 
this distillation yielded crystals of benzoic acid and salicine, and the _ 
mother liquid from the crystals of the benzoic acid gave with ferric salts ** 
the reactions of salicylic acid. ne "; ae BB. 
11. On the Composition and Metamorphoses of Conine; by J. Buxru, ‘ 
(Compt. Rend. des Trav. de Chem., Oct., 1849, from Ann, der Chem. .-_ 
und Pharm., Ixx, 73.)—The recent analytical results of this chem- ~~ - 
£ Onis ; 
. 
ii, p. 66), C. H,, N, or in the ordinary notation, C,,H,,N; thatof ; 
Mr. Blyth is C,,H,,N, and that of Ortigosa C,,H,,N, neither ots. «. 
Which gives a number of equivalents of nitrogen and hydrogep divi et 
on + 
a 
ble by 4. The results obtained by M. Ortigosa approach very closel 
| 
According to Mr. Blyth, the boiling point of conine is 168°-171° C. ; : 
-.> 
test papers, but on the addition of a drop of water its reaction is strongly es : 
alkaline. Conine readily coagulates albumen, and precipitates thevgalts «* * 
Z es 
