168 Scientific Intelligence. 



It was found by the ingenious author of this memoir, that in its 

 pure liquid state, sulphurous acid is a non-conductor of electricity. 

 Under circumstances the most favorable, it exhibited no traces of 

 decomposition by a battery of forty pairs and a very sensible galvan- 

 ometer. But when a little water was added to it, sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen immediately appeared at the negative pole, and oxygen at 

 the positive. In this respect, it is analagous to sulphuric and other 

 acids, to Brome, &£C. 



Some attempts have been made to ascertain the relative refractive 

 powers of sulphurous acid in its gaseous and liquid states, but not 

 very successfully. It would appear from the results that have been 

 obtained, that in several instances, the refractive power of the con- 

 densed gases, increases in a greater ratio than that of their increased 

 densides, a result which is considered to be adverse to the theory of 

 the emission of light ; for upon that theory there should be no change 

 in the refractive power, by a change of density, as long as the chem- 

 ical nature of the medium remains unchanged. — Biblioiheque Uni- 

 i^erseUe, Mars, 1829. 



3. Crystallization of Iodine. — During the course of his researches 

 on the combinations of Iodine and Arsenic, M. A. Plisson has ascer- 

 tained that Iodine crystallizes in acute octahedrons and in rhomboids, 

 and that it may be obtained under those two forms, by exposing iodu- 

 retted hydriodic acid. He also remarked that iodine assumes rhom- 

 boidal forms in the upper part of a flask, in which ioduret of arsenic 

 has been kept. — Ann. de Chimie. JYov. 1828. 



4. JVote on the action of metals upon inflammable gases, by Aug. 

 de la Rive and F. Marcet. — Mr. Pleischl has shewn that the best 

 method of obtaining platina in a state the most fit for becoming incan- 

 descent by a current of hydrogen, is to dip a piece of filtering paper 

 three times successively, into a solution of hydro-chlorate of platina, 

 burn the paper and collect the ashes.* These ashes contain the pla- 

 tina in a condition much more suitable for producing the required in- 

 candescence, than when in the spongy state, and it preserves this prop- 

 erty at a much lower temperature. They have observed it to become 

 red even when cooled to — 20° cent. 



Palladium prepared in the same manner, exhibits the same phe- 

 nomenon, with nearly the same facility as platina. 



* I have observed this after burning the paper falter, on which the orange colored 

 oxide precipitated by muriate of aininouia from muriate of platina, had been collect- 

 ed.— ^rf. 



