258 Translations and abstracts from the French. 



The action of the perchloride of cyanogen on the anima! 

 economy, is very deleterious ; a grain dissolved in alcohol 

 and introduced into the esophagus of a rabbit killed it in- 

 stantly. An ounce of water in which another grain had been 

 agitated, and filtered so as to separate the greater portion 

 which remained undissolved, killed in twenty five minutes 

 another rabbit which had been made to swallow it. The 

 experiments of M. Serulas, to ascertain the composition of 

 the chloride of cyanogen, results as follows : — 



Chlorine, - - - .7346=2 atoms. 

 Cyanogen, - - - .2654 = 1 atom. 



Cyanic Acid,. — This is also a new compound, evidently 

 differing in some important particulars, from either of the 

 two substances described as cyanic acid — the one by Woh- 

 ler who did not succeed in isolating it, — and the other by 

 Liebig and Gay Lussac, who ascertained the existence of a 

 cyanic acid in the fulminating compounds of mercury and 

 silver. 



M. Serulas has shown that among the most remarkable 

 characteristic properties of perchloride of cyanogen, is that 

 of decomposing water, and producing hydro-chloric acid and 

 cyanic acid. 



AH that had been previously known of cyanic acid, would 

 lead to the opinion that its elements possessed but little sta- 

 bility, and that it could exist only in combination with a base. 

 But M. Serulas, perceiving the tendency of this acid to give 

 rise to an acid salt, and not very soluble, inferred that in its 

 natural state it ought to be solid, for he had long thought 

 that no acids except those which are susceptible of becom- 

 ing solid, have the property of forming fixed acid salts, such 

 as tartrates, oxalates, phosphates, iodates, &c. This con- 

 jecture he has fully verified. The cyanic acid is solid, very 

 white, and crystalhzes in brilliant transparent rhombs, not 

 very soluble and consequently without any very marked taste. 

 It reddens litmus : its density is rather less than that of sul- 

 phuric acid, in which it remains suspended, but sinking when 

 the acid is in the least diluted. 



It is volatilized at a heat a little above that of boiling mer- 

 cury : strongly heated a portion is decomposed, leaving only 

 charcoal : if it is not v^^ell dried it yields ammonia and car- 

 bonic acid, in quantities proportional to the humidity it may 

 contain. 



