Miscellanies. 157 



12. Potash obtained from felspar . — According to M. Fuchs, this 

 important alkali may be extracted from minerals containing it, by the 

 following method ; — they are to be calcined with lime, then left for 

 some time in contact with water, and the liquor filtered and evapor- 

 ated. M. Fuchs says he has thus obtained from nineteen to twenty 

 parts of potash from felspar, and from fifteen to sixteen from mica, 

 per centum. — Idem. 



13. Action of the Pile on living animal substances.— (Ann. de 

 Chim.) — M. Matteuci found that the poles of a Voltaic pile of fifteen 

 pairs, applied to two wounds made on the lateral parts of the abdo- 

 men of a rabbit, so as to leave the peritoneum bare, soon occasioned 

 a yellow alkaline liquor, containing many bubbles of air, to collect at 

 the negative pole, while a yellow liquid, with few bubbles and slightly 

 acid, collected at the positive pole. The poles were of gold. The 

 same results were obtained on other parts of the body, as the liver, 

 intestines, &ic. The substance obtained at the negative pole, besides 

 alkah, contained much albumen coagulated by heat ; the fluid at the 

 positive pole also contained a highly azotated substance. 



These experiments are considered by M. Matteuci as supporting 

 the opinion that secretions in the living body are the result of elec- 

 trical decomposition. — Ibid. 



14. Chlorine an antidote to prussic acid. — By dropping prussic 

 acid upon the eyes of three dogs and dividing the symptoms into 

 three stages, 1. uneasiness, 2. tetanus, 3. interrupted respiration,, 

 the experimenters, Persoz and Nonat, found that chlorine applied 

 at these different stages produced, in the first stage, immediate relief; 

 vomiting and alvine discharges occurred, and the animal in half an 

 hour was as lively as at first. Applied at the second stage, the rest- 

 lessness continued a while, as alsb the convulsive movements, then 

 vomitings, fee. as before, and at the end of an hour the animal was 

 perfectly well. The same two dogs being treated the next day with 

 the same quantity of prussic acid, without chlorine, died in a few 

 minutes. In the third case, before the chlorine was applied, the res- 

 piration had ceased for twenty five seconds, and the animal was rap- 

 idly perishing. The chlorine recalled it to life, and ultimately restor- 

 ed it to full vigor. 



Afterwards two dogs of equal strength were taken, the crural veins 

 laid bare and separated from the accompanying nervous fibres, and 



