Scientific Intelligence. — Chemistry. 147 



volatilized, but that soon ceased ; much inflammable gas, probably 

 carburetted hydrogen, was formed, and the colorless liquid, on cool- 

 ing, became a crystalline mass of transparent needles, easily recog- 

 nized to be sulphate of ammonia. — Qua?-. Jour. July to Sept. 1829. 



6. Phosphorus in vacuo. — The following experiment is mentioned 

 by Berzelius as due to Van Bemmeleer : sprinkle a stick of phos- 

 phorus here and there with resin and sulphur, put it under the re- 

 ceiver of an air pump and exhaust : The phosphorus will become 

 more luminous at the parts powdered than on the other parts, and ul- 

 timately inflame. — Idem. 



7. Combustibility of carbon increased by platina and copper. — 

 The following experiment is due to Woehler : — Rasped cork is to be 

 heated in close vessels with ammonia, muriate of platina, or verde- 

 gris, when a charcoal will be obtained, which though it will not in- 

 flame spontaneously, does so if slightly heated, and then continues 

 to burn of itself. The charcoal obtained from cork without these 

 additions does not inflame at so low a temperature, nor continue to 

 burn in small masses if once inflamed and left to itself. This effect 

 is analogous to that discovered by Dobereiner, as belonging to pla- 

 tina ; but as regards copper, a more curious one of the same nature 

 is shewn very easily by a common green wax taper. These tapers 

 are colored with verdigris, and when burnt, the copper of the verde- 

 gris is reduced for a time in the wick. If such a taper be lighted, 

 and the flame then blown out, leaving the wick glowing, combustion 

 of the wax will still proceed, slowly indeed, but for hours and days 

 together, until the whole of the wax is burnt, or until the combustion 

 has reached some part where it is extinguished by the neighboring 

 bodies. This does not happen with white tapers, and hence they are 

 safer for ordinary use. — Idem. 



8. Decomposition of sulphates in water by organic matters. (Ann. 

 de Chimie, XL, 433.) — M. Vogel has made some direct experiments 

 on this subject, and has found that a very weak solution of sulphate 

 of soda, and a saturated solution of sulphate of lime, mixed with su- 

 gar, gum arabic, glycyrrhezine, or an infusion of woad, and preserved 

 for a long time in jars, away from the light have been decomposed ; 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, carbonic acid, and acetic acid were formed ; 

 the waters had a strong odor of sulphuretted hydrogen, and, being 

 boiled, gave that substance mixed with carbonic acid. 



