Miscellanies. 379 



These determinations suffice .to show that the time is not far dis- 

 tant when the greater proportion of organic substances will be me- 

 thodically classed conformably to the same bases as mineral chemis- 

 try. — Ann. de Phys. et de Chimie, Decern., 1831. 



2. Separation of the protoxide from the oxide of Iron ; by M, 

 LiEBiG. — In certain applications, this mode of separation becomes 

 important. Cotton printers make use of pyrolignite of iron to obtain 

 every various effects in coloration, and it is a problem of some con- 

 sequence to them, to know exactly, before they employ this salt of 

 iron, the quantity of oxide it may contain, in order to produce with 

 certainty, a uniform tint. 



This knowledge may easily be gained by means of magnesia. — 

 Take two quantities exactly equal of pyrolignite of iron — oxidize 

 one of them by adding to it water charged with chlorine, or by boil- 

 ing it with nitric acid — precipitate by ammonia, and thus determine 

 the entire weight of iron in the solution. Take the other equal part 

 and boil it with magnesia, then filter it ; the protoxide of iron is af- 

 terwards changed to red oxide by means of an aqueous solution of 

 chlorine, and precipitated by ammonia after adding a certain quan- 

 tity of sal ammoniac to prevent the precipitation of the magnesia. 



The relation of the weights of these two precipitates, after deduct- 

 ing the second from the first, will express, with sufficient exactness, 

 the relation of the oxide to the protoxide. — "Idem, JVov. 1831. 



3. Narceine, a new substance discovered in Opium. — M. Pelle- 

 TiER, in endeavoring to obtain from one and the same portion of opium, 

 all the proximate principles which it contains, was led from the mod- 

 ification which he adopted, to the discovery of a new immediate 

 principle which he has called narceine. 



This substance is distinguished by the following characters : crys- 

 tallizes in needles which are prisms with four very slender faces, so- 

 luble in alcohol and water, insoluble in ether, taste bitter and styptic, 

 not volatile, melts at 92° cent. Its principal distinctive character 

 consists in the beautiful blue color which it assumes in combining 

 with acids at a certain degree of concentration ; its combinations with 

 acid are of the nature of salts. Tlie base can be withdrawn unal- 

 tered. 



The proximate principles, separated in succession by M. Pelletier, 

 from opium, are twelve in number, viz., morphine, narcotine^ meco^ 



