Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 233 
gas that had not been purified by lime over palladized pumice at a 
temperature considerably below a red heat, ammonia and distinct 
traces of a‘volatile alkaloid were formed. The palladium was 
charged with hydrogen by passing the coal-gas over it at about 
212° Fahr. At this temperature palladized pumice absorbs hydro- 
gen from the coal-gas; and at a higher temperature gives it off 
in such a condition as to react upon the vapour of cyanides and 
produce ammonia and a volatile alkaloid. When the palladium 
ceased to act—that is to say, when ammonia and the alkaloid no 
longer continued to be formed—the tube containing the palladized 
pumice was transferred to a trough of boiling water, and the 
current of gas was kept up until the metal had become active— 
that is, charged with hydrogen. The water-bath was then removed, 
and the tube was heated by a very small gas-flame, when the 
formation of ammonia and the alkaloid again commenced. The 
quantity of the latter formed from 250 grains of palladized pumice 
containing 20 per cent. cf palladium was, however, so small that 
I could not procure enough for analysis. 
Having found that zinc dust heated to a low temperature in a 
current of coal-gas rendered hydrogen active in a similar way to 
palladium, I determined to ascertain if, by using a much larger 
quantity than I had of palladized pumice, the synthesis could be 
effected on a sufficient scale to enable me to analyze the products. 
For this purpose I used the following simple apparatus :—A 
globular flask was fitted with a cork carrying two tubes, one of 
which passed to within 4 inch of the bottom ; and, at its lower 
extremity, was protected by a cage of fine copper gauze, to prevent 
it from being stopped up by the zine dust. The flask was then 
filled with the latter to the commencement of the neck. The gas 
passed through the zinc dust with the greatest ease. 
Experiment 1.—The flask arranged in the manner described was 
heated with a small rose-burner; and, when the temperature 
arrived at about 400° Fahr., sulphuretted hydrogen was evolved, 
accompanied by the same peculiar odour that was observed when 
using palladized pumice. When a rod moistened with hydro- 
ehloric acid was brought near the exit, it fumed strongly. The 
odour was like that of fish. On holding a piece of fir-wood 
moistened with hydrochloric acid in the vapour, the red reaction 
characteristic of pyrrol was distinctly obtained. The vapour was 
now passed into dilute hydrochloric acid during the night, and in 
the morning a scarlet ring was formed on the sides of the beaker 
about ? inch above the solution. This was probably pyrrol red, 
produced, in the well-known manner, by decomposition of the 
pyrrol by the acid. 
Experiment 2.—After the preliminary experiment just described, 
19 feet of the gas were passed as before; but the products were 
conveyed into a Geissler’s potash-tube containing hydrochloric acid 
diluted with twice its volume of distilled water. The product was 
evaporated to dryness; the chloride of ammonium and tarry mat- 
ters removed ; and the hydrochlorate of the base, which was very 
Phil. Mag. 8. 5. Vol. 19. No. 118. March 1885. R 
