190 Miscellanies. 



surface in greater quantity than in substances of higher powers of 

 conduction. But then the under surface, in the disk composed of 

 non-conducting matter, evidently ought to acquire a less elevated 

 temperature than in the disk formed of the body whose conducting 

 power is better : and in turning from the side of the pile the face of 

 each disk which has not i-eceived the direct impression of the solar 

 rays, we ought to perceive an opposite effect. But this does not 

 take place ; for whichever of the surfaces of the disks we present to 

 the instrument, we always obtain the same result. We conclude 

 therefore, that " the color and state of the surface of bodies being 

 the same, one body is possessed of greater absorbing power, in pro- 

 portion as its power of conduction is less." This law, new and un- 

 expected, seems destined to play an important part in the theory of 

 radiant caloric. 



Extracted and Translated hy Prof. Griscom. 



2. JVetv process for obtaining JVlorphine. — Ant. Galvani, (Ann. 

 delle Scienze, etc. Maggio et Giguno, 1831,) describes a method 

 of obtaining, directly from opium, morphine free from narcotine. He 

 admits that his process is a modification of that contrived by M. 

 Guillermond, apothecary at Lyons. It consists essentially of redu- 

 cing, by evaporation, the alcoholic solution of opium, to the density 

 of an extract, then by successive solutions and filtrations, to separate 

 from all the resinous matter of the extract, which causes the narco- 

 tine to be separated from the morphine ; — a prolonged ebullition with 

 calcined magnesia, a succession of filtrations, washings and desrcca- 

 tions, produces at length very pure morphine, completely separated 

 from all narcotine. 



With respect to the resinous matter, by dissolving it in dilute sul- 

 phuric acid, and decomposing the solution by potash, the narcotine is 

 precipitated, and must be purified by treating it again with sulphuric 

 acid and " ammonia, filtering, resolution in alcohol at 24°, and crys- 

 tallization. In making, with one pound of opium, five tinctures in 

 alcohol of different degrees of strength, the author was enabled, by 

 the foregoing process, to obtain from it eight drachms, of very pure 

 morphine. 



3. Jlction of Oils upon Oxygen gas, at the temperature of the at- 

 mosphere; by Theod. De Saussure. — The experiments upon this 



