Chemistry and Physics. A13 
‘slightly opaline. It regains several centimes of this water by further 
Seeeen. at the common temperature but without recovering its trans- 
parenc 
12. On the Products of the mene opm of —— of Ammonia 
by Heat ; by Mr. Frep. — (Phil. Mag., Dec., 1847.)—On subject- 
‘ing this salt to a heat sufficient to itina oad ih state, cumin- 
amid is obtained, being an amid analogous to oxamid. Its formula 
“OC. 5H,;, NO. a yiit crystallizes from a strong solution in brilliant tables, 
from @ a dilute solution in long opake needles—both forms having the 
me composition. It is indefinitely soluble in hot or cold alcohol or 
ether. Unlike most other amids, strong solutions of potash or mineral 
acids do not alter it, and long boiling scarcely produces the seal con- 
version into the ammoniacal sa 
By keeping the fused cuminate of ammonia in brisk ebullition, a —_ 
oil passes over with water, this is cumonitrile C,, 
from the last product by the elimination of two equivalents “s one, 
Cumonitrile is a clear colorless liquid of high refractive power, agree 
able odor and burning taste. Indefinitely soluble in aleohol ste i 
Si 0765. Boiling point 462° Far. 
nitric acid acts upon this substance only after boiling, and re- 
pics ani acid. Heated with ere the presence of cyan- 
— is indica 
Alcoholic slation of ee after a long time, regenerates cumin- 
amid, which it is to be r bered is with aiGiquley rasan into 
cuminic acid ak ammonia. 
In like manner nitro-benzoate of ammonia was ceavenel into nitro- 
essary but the process is difficult as the salt explodes often with 
violen 
The formation of a sort of amid with the elimination of four equiva- ' 
lents of water by the author, seems to have been previous to, and with- 
out the knowledge of similar experiments of M. Dumas, noticed p. ~ 
G. C. ScHAEFFE 
On Nicotine; by M. Barrat, (Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., hie 5 
1847, )—The author had proposed the formula C,, H, N—this was 
afterwards altered to C,, H, N, with the suggestion “that it should be 
doubled. ‘The salts being deliquescent, and the platinum and mercury 
salts leaving the question undecided, the author determined to take 
the density of its vapor as well as that of aniline, which a resem- 
bles it. The density of the vapor of nicotine was 5°630 and retain of 
doubled and becomes C,. Hs o Ng 
he — pe the follow wing properties of nicotine. Sp. gr. at 
59°, 1-027 ; , 100 parts dissolve 10°58 of sulphur, which nearly 
all separates on ene It absorbs from a moist atmosphere nearly 
—. its weight of water, which it loses over potash with a certain quan- 
tity of water; it solidifies at 0°, anhydrous nicotine does not. Chlorine 
reacts violently—the product has not been examined. G. C. 
‘14. A new Chlorine Compound from the Dutch ~— by J. Pierre, 
tes Rendus, Sept.y 1847.)—This substance is said to be obtained 
without difficulty by the action of chlorine upon the Dutch liquid. Its 
