



Chemistry and Physics. 271 



concordant and affording exactly the formula for margaric' acid, 



C 3 r 4 H 34 4 ( C 17 H 34 2 1 Ger ) 



The statement of Chevreul, that stearic acid may be distilled without 

 change, is also confirmed. If the melting point is changed in the pro- 

 duct, it is owing not to a decomposition but merely to a molecular 

 change. 



This discovery which places stearic and margaric (metastearic) 

 acids in the same relation with tartaric and racemic (metatartaric) 

 acids, greatly simplifies the whole of a hitherto intricate subject, ex- 

 plains the identity of margarone and stearone, &c.,and above all, does 

 away with the difference between the fat of man and the pig and that 

 of other animals, a result highly important to physiology. G. C. S. 



10. On Caprylone; by G. Guckelberger, (Liebig's Ann., Feb., 1849, 

 in Chem. Gaz.) — This is a new body of the acetone series — obtained 

 from the baryta salt of the caprylic acid from cocoanut oil. In form- 

 ing this and the similar bodies, the decomposition is not always simple, 

 but in the case of caprylone an excess of hydrate of lime with the ba- 

 ryta salts, raised rapidly to a red heat, was found to furnish the purest 

 product. By pressure in filtering paper, washing with cold alcohol and 

 crystallizing from hot alcohol, caprylone may be obtained in a slate of 

 purity. It is white like wax in appearance and smell, insoluble in wa- 

 ter, soluble in ether and oils, and even to some extent in cold alcohol, 

 soiling alcohol and pyroxylic spirit dissolve large quantities. It melts 

 at 104°, solidifies at 100°, and boils at S52 without decomposition. 



Caprylic acid being C 16 H 16 4 , caprylone is given by the author as 



15 H, 5 O : it should be C 30 H 30 2 , to agree with acetone as referred 



to 4 volumes of vapor,— acetic acid being C 4 H 4 4 , acetone C 6 H 6 O 



(Dumas). 



11. Composition of Bone Earth; by Dr. W. Heintz, (Berlin Bericht, 

 Feb., 1849, in Chem. Gaz.) — On the authority of Berzelius, the phos- 

 phate of lime in bones has usually been stated as &CaO, 3PO^ 

 but others have doubted the accuracy of this rather extraordinary 

 formula. 



On examination, Dr. Heintz found the carbonic and phosphoric acids 

 insufficient to combine with alt the lime and magnesia. This excess of 



G. C o. 



hase was exactly accounted for on estimating the ftuorid of calcium 

 °n subtracting this and the carbonate of lime, the remaining lime and 

 Magnesia were found to represent the ordinary tribasic phosphate 3RO, 

 P0 5 . No iron was found in the bones exhausted with water, its sup- 

 posed presence in bone arising probably from the coloring matter of 

 the blood. G. C. S. 



Ac 

 Ch 



12. On the reaction of Iron and Zinc with Anhydrous Sulphuric 

 id and with Sulphates; bv A. D'Heureuse, (PoggendorfTs Ann. in 

 em. Gaz.)— With anhydrous sulphuric acid at a red heat, iron is 

 converted into a mixture of proto-, and per-oxyd and proto-sulphate. 

 Zinc is also converted into oxyd and sulphuret. 



With sulphate of potash at a red heat, iron produces a complete de- 

 composition of the sulphuric acid, and the residue contains oxyd and 

 sulphuret of iron with caustic potash; no sulphuret of potassium is 

 formed. Pure caustic potash cannot, however, be obtained by this pro- 

 cess as on solution in water some sulphuret of iron is taken up. The 



