Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 317 



ON THE EXTRACTION OF IODINE FROM PLANTS AND FROM 

 COAL. BY M. BUSSY. 



Some doubts having been expressed by several persons in the 

 Academy with respect to the accuracy of the statements respecting 

 the existence of iodine in certain plants, the author deposited a spe- 

 cimen of cress and of the iodine which he had obtained from it, and 

 also of iodide of potassium procured from the same plant. 



M. Bussy also remarks that in 1839 he showed that the coal of 

 Commentry contains iodine. Some portions of this coal contain 

 much sulphuret of iron ; whence it happens that whilst working, 

 masses often undergo a kind of slow combustion. The heat thus 

 produced gives rise to thick vapours which condense on the surface, 

 and the product is found to consist of sulphuret and other arsenical 

 compounds, with much sal-ammoniac, containing hydriodate of am- 

 monia : at the period mentioned the author merely stated the pecu- 

 liar reactions of iodine, without trying to isolate it. Not having 

 any of the natural product in his possession in which he had first 

 met with iodine, he had recourse to the products of the distillation 

 of coal for obtaining gas ; and he found in the ammoniacal liquor a 

 considerable quantity of iodine, and such as he could separate and 

 estimate. 



The process which he adopted was to add to a certain quantity 

 of the condensed water enough potash to convert the hydriodate of 

 ammonia into iodide of potassium ; by evaporation to dryness and 

 calcination, the tarry matter was destroyed ; and the residue being 

 treated with alcohol, yielded iodide of potassium. The iodine was 

 estimated by means of iodide of palladium, by the decomposition of 

 which by heat iodine was obtained, of which a specimen was pre- 

 sented to the Academy. 



Three kilogrammes of the condensed water of the establishment 

 at the barriere of Fontainebleau yielded 0*59 gr. of iodine, nearly 0*2 

 per kilogramme, or 2 ten-thousandths : iodine was also found in the 

 liquor of another establishment, which renders it probable that it will 

 be found in all varieties of coal. 



M. Bussy remarks that the quantity stated does not include the 

 whole of the iodine contained in the coal, since a quantity remains 

 in the coke, which may be obtained by incineration. 



M. Bussy observes, that the distilled product of gas-works may 

 possibly be employed for the ceconomical preparation of iodine, espe- 

 cially if it could be obtained without prejudice to the separation of 

 the ammoniacal salts. — L'Institut, No. 853. 



BROMINE A PRODUCT OF THE DISTILLATION OF COAL. 

 BY M. MENE. 



The author, who is chemical assistant at the College of France, 

 states that he has discovered bromine in the ammoniacal liquor ob- 

 tained as above mentioned. He has also found the iodine previously 

 mentioned by M. Bussy. — Ibid. No. 854. 



