188 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



bine with lime and to afford an insoluble precipitate of a 

 brownish color. 



The following experiment which I have often performed, 

 and which may be easily repeated will show the fallacy which 

 attends Mr. Smith's conclusion on this point. 



To some perfectly limpid lime water, previously ascertain- 

 ed by the ferrocyanate of potash, to be free from iron, add a 

 few drops of infusion of galls. The whole immediately as- 

 sumed a purplish color, and in a short time there is deposit- 

 ed at the bottom of the vessels a greenish brown precipitate. 



It may not be amiss to refer to higher authority. According 

 to Dr. Thomson, gallic acid when dropped into barytes wa- 

 ter, strontian water, or limewater gives them a bluish red col- 

 or and occasions a flaky precipitate composed of the acid 

 combined with the earth. (Vol. 2. p. 158 Amer. Ed.) The 

 same fact is mentioned by Thenard and Brande, the latter 

 of whom states the precipitate to be of a brownish color. 

 This acid also decomposes the earthy carbonates. 



Again " when barytes, strontian or lime w^ater is poured in- 

 to the infusion of galls, an olive colored precipitate falls, 

 which consists not only of tannin, but also of the extract and 

 most of the gallic acid combined with the earth." (Thom- 

 son Vol. 2. p. 158.) 



But I need not occupy time with other quotations. I may 

 however remark, that the difficulty which attends the detec- 

 tion of iron has been sufficiently shown by Mr. Richard 

 Phillips in his " analysis of the Bath Water ;" where it will 

 be seen that other processes, besides mere precipitation, are 

 necessary to prove its existence. 



17. Tin in Massachusetts. 



" Amherst, March 10th, 1829. 

 To the Editor of the JLmerican Journal of Science. 



Sir — I am happy in being able to send you herewith a 

 specimen of genuine Neio England Tin, I can indeed 

 spare you but a very small quantity — only a single globule, 

 reduced before the compound blowpipe: yet, as it is well 

 characterized, and the first, if I mistake not, that has been 

 found in the United States, I trust that it will prove ac- 

 ceptable. 



It occurs at Goshen, Massachusetts ; at the well known 

 locality of spodumene, limpid and rose beryl, rose mica, 



