408 Scientific Intelligence. 
tate of ammonia yield prussic acid and acetonitrile.* The action of 
anhydrous phosphoric acid upon the nitrate, would probably — a 
similar result. 
It is curious to observe that this erences is precisely similar to 
that which nitrite of ammonia undergoes by heat.t ne the ele- 
ments of two equivalents of water, it evolves nitrogen gas 
Nitrate of ammonia, 2 NO, H, NH,—2H, 0 — NNO. 
Nitrite of ammonia, - NO, H, NH, ‘yall, O= NN. 
Are we warranted in inferring from ie analogy ‘te nitrogen gas thus 
to all chem Brpehes ye: Such an idea may be regarded as a mere 
Lee but although we have not yet evidence of the truth of so 
startling a proposition, it is a possible fact which should not be disre- 
rded. T. 8. A. 
4, On the Nature of Hydrofluoric Acid; by M. LDU Rh (Jour. de 
Pharm. et de Chimie, Sept., 1847, from the Compt. Rend. de |’Acad., 
t. xxiv, p, 434,)—It has been supposed that the anhydrous hydrofluoric 
acid was capable of being condensed at the ordinary pressure into a 
liquid, but the experiments of M. Louyet show that this contains water. 
e has obtained the pure dry acid by the aid of anhydrous phe 
acid; it is gaseous under the ordinary pressure at — 12°C . (10 a7 
it arc gna i in the air, and scarcely attacks glass. T. 
he Quantitative Determination of Sulph ur in Organic Sib 
gun ts W. Heinrz, (Annal. de Pharm. et de Chemie, from Pogg. 
Annal., t. Ixxi, p. 145.)—M. Heintz recommends the following process 
as requiring but a small portion of the organic substances, ant A espe- 
cially ee oa to the analysis of the protein bodies. The substance is 
trogen process, filled with a solution of potash free from sulphate. 
end of the combustion tube is drawn out to a point, and bent at an obtuse 
angle, so that the extremity may be introduced into the end of the pot- 
ash tube; the joint is made tight by gum-elastic. ‘This arrangement is 
to pprevem the loss of any safphurie acid which might be evolved in the 
“When the combustion is finished, the liquid is poured into a warm 
mixture of chlorate of potash and hydrochloric acid; the sulphite is 
thus converted into sulphate. The whole contents of the combustion 
tube are then dissolved in this liquid with a gentle heat, and the sulphate 
finally precipitated by chlorid of barium. 
As a proof e accuracy of this method, M. Heintz has made fe 
analyses of taurine, operating on from 0-174 to 0-191 grammes, 2? 
paced of sulphur 25°68, 25-66 and 25°49 per cent. ies?) requires 
25°60. S..H. 
sini een 
* This Journal, for Jan., 1848, p. 119. t Ibid, for March, 1848. 
. 
