384 Miscellanies. 



an acid, latterly known in Germany imder the name of acid of Vosges, 

 (Voghesen-Lanre) he found that it had the same composition and the 

 same atomic Aveight as tartaric acid. Its characters, however, and the 

 crystalline forms of its compounds, are different from those of tartaric 

 acid and the tartrates. The two kinds of salts, taking' the same num- 

 ber of atoms of water, and the same species, being heteromorphous, it 

 is proved that bodies composed of the same number of elements, in 

 the same proportions, may have different chemical properties, and be 

 heteromorphous. This it may be perceived is the reverse of the iso- 

 morphism of compounds formed from different elements in the same 

 proportions. There are several known examples, analogous to that of 

 the true tartaric acids, both of organic and inorganic compounds. 

 Such are the old phosphoric acid, and the calcined phosphoric acid ; 

 the two stannic oxides ; fluid albumine, and coagulated albumine. 

 Berzelius proposes to give the name of isomeres to those compounds 

 whose properties are different and composition identical, and to distin- 

 guish these isomaternal compounds from each other, to precede the 

 name of one of them with the Greek preposition -rocpct. Thus we 

 should say phosphoric acid, para-phosphoric acid, &c. — Rev. Encyc. 

 Aout, 1830. 



29. Bitter Almonds. — An able memoir on the constituents of this 

 substance, by Robiquet and Boutron Charlard, was favorably noticed 

 in the French Academy on the 23d of August, by Thenard and Serul- 

 las. The authors prove, 1st, that the volatile oil of bitter almonds is 

 not all formed in the fruit ; that v/ater is necessary to its production ; 

 2d, that Benzoic acid is not precipitated in the volatile oil, but that 

 the latter is susceptible of being entirely converted into Benzoic acid 

 by the absorption of oxygen ; 3d, that there exists in bitter almonds a 

 peculiar crystalline matter, white, inodorous, unalterable by air, of a 

 bitter taste, very soluble in alcohol, and crystallizable by cooling in 

 radiant needles ; susceptible of being disengaged from ammonia, when 

 heated v/ith a solution of caustic potash : that this substance, which 

 the authors name amygdaline, may be the only cause of the bitterness 

 of this fruit, and one of the elements of its essential oil, in which they 

 are induced to admit the existence of a benzoic xadicah— Idem. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



1. Meteoric Iron in Bohemia. — The locality where this mass of 

 meteoric iron was found, is the slope of a hill near the castle of Bo- 

 humilitz, in the circle of Prachin in Bohemia, the estate of Baron 



