SCIENCE. 



307 



CHEMICAL NOTES. 



Adulterations of Saffron. — Saffron is sophisticated 

 with muscular fibre, the flowers of Calendula officinalis, saf- 

 flower, Crocus vernus, Punica granatum, fragments of san- 

 ders-wood, glucose, glycerin, oil, chalk and heavy-spar. 



Preparation of Ashes Destined for the Extraction 

 of Iodine from Sea-weeds. — The most advantageous 

 weeds for this purpose are the two varieties of Fucus 

 digitatus. Dr. Thiercelin states that he has succeeded in 

 extracting from the plant 3 per cent, of iodine. 



Manufacture of Phosphoric Acid. — Natural phos- 

 phates, unground, are dissolved in ddute hydrochloric acid. 

 When the acid has ceased to act the clear solution is run 

 off from the insoluble matters and mixed with sulphuric 

 acid enough to saturate all the dissolved lime, leaving a 

 mixture of hydrochloric acid, dilute phosphoric acid, and 

 calcium sulphate. This mixture is submitted to pressure 

 to separate the sulphate from the free acids, which are 

 then concentrated, and the hvdrochloric acid is condensed 

 and collected for use by means of ordinary columns. — 

 M. A. Colson. 



Complex Acids Containing Boric Acid. — Dr. F. 

 Mauri has formed boro-tungstic acid by dissolving tungstic 

 anhydride in a solution of borax, and continuing to add 

 the former uniil the liquid is no longer rendered turbid bd 

 hydrochloric acid. He is engaged with the formation any 

 the study of the boro-molybdic acid and its salts 



Compound of Titanium Tetra-chloride and of Phos- 

 phorus Proto- Chloride. — The composition of this com- 

 pound is represented by the formula TiCl 4 PCl 3 . — M. Ar- 

 mand bertrand. 



Compound of Titanium Tetra-chloride and Ethyl 

 Oxide. — If the vapors of these two bodies are brought 

 in contact, fine crystals of a greenish yellow color are pro- 

 duced. — M. Armand Bertrand. 



Reduction of Ethyl Nitrate by Alcohol. — Nascent 

 ethyl nitrate is reduced in presence of alcohol, yielding 

 ethyl nitrite and aldehyde. — M. Armand Bertrand. 



Products Contained in the Coke of Petroleum. — 

 Experiment shows that the accumulation of the carbon is 

 effected with an increasing rapidity, and the weight of the 

 molecule rises to a limit still little known, but which 

 can be no other than the formation of insoluble bodies 

 whose richness in carbon is equal or even inferior to that 

 of the bodies which have remained soluble. We reach 

 thus, by a progression easy to conceive, the term of the 

 series which must equally include crystalline bodies such 

 as graphite and diamond. It is known, on the other hand, 

 that the higher polymers, when submitted to very high tem- 

 peratures, seem to depolymerise themselves (as happens 

 with metastyrolene), yielding saseous carbon compounds. — 

 MM. L. Prunier and Eug. Vareune. 



Action of Mono-bromated Diphenyl-methan upon 

 Ammonia. — If the ammonia is in alcoholic solution, am- 

 monium hydro-bromate is deposited ; and the alcoholic 

 liquid, if precipitated with water, yields, as a principal pro- 

 duct, a mixed ethyl-benzhydrolic ether. Concentrated aq- 

 ueous ammonia acts differently ; the crystalline bromine 

 is gradually transformed, and in twenty-four hours the 

 mass becomes liquid. In forty-eight hours more it becomes 

 solid, and then it no longer contains bromated diphenyl- 

 methan. — MM. C. Friedel and M. Balsohn. 



Synthesis of Chinoline. — The alizarin blue of Prud'- 

 homme has the composition C1-H9NO4, and is probably a 

 dihydroxylised quinon of anthrachinoline. It is formed 

 from nitro-alizarin and glycerin, with the elimination of 

 water Chinoline is actually obtained on heating together 

 nitro-benzol, glycerin, and sulphuric acid. — Z. H. Skraup, 

 Wiener Anzeiger, 1880, 69. 



Function of Lime in the Lifeof Plants. — E. v. Raumer 

 and Ch. Kellermann assert that lime is absolutely necessary 

 for the life of plants, and its function is most closely con- 

 nected with the utilization of the carbohydrates. 



Chemicl Investigations in the Bohemian Central 

 Mountains. — J. Stocklasa has recently made an examina- 

 tion of the marls and clays of Priesen. — Listy Chem., 4, 135. 



Bodecker's Method of Detecting Albumen in Urine. 

 — The urine is slightly acidified with acetic acid, and a 

 few drops of a solution of potassium ferrocyanide are 

 added. In presence of even very slight traces of albumen 

 a turbidity at once appears, and in a short time there is 

 deposited a fiocculent sediment. The test is exceedingly 

 sensitive. 



Chloraluminium used at Cloth Works. — A sample 

 contained 15.49 P er cent. A1 2 C1 6 , 1.13 A1 8 3 , 2.59 NaCl, 

 0.14 Na 2 S0 4 , 80.65 H 2 0. Apparently formed by decom- 

 posing aluminium sulphate with barium chloride. F. 

 Stolba. — Listy Chem., 4, 193. 



Crystalline Prussian Blue. — W. Gintl states that if re- 

 cently precipitated Prussian blue be treated with a moderate 

 excess of hydrochloric acid at a gentle heat, it dissolves to 

 a slightly yellowish liquid, which, on exposure to the air, 

 gradually deposits Prussian blue as a crystalline sediment, 

 which displays a splendid coppery lustre by reflected light. 

 So-called Turnbull's blue dissolves in hydrochloric acid 

 in the same manner as ordinary Prussian blue, and 

 yields similar crystals — a further evidence of the identity of 

 the two compounds. 



True Clay in so-called Clay Soils. — A. Funaro has 

 shown that the highest proportion of clay does not exceed 

 33 per cent. 



PHYSICAL NOTES. 



Certain Modifications Undergone by Glass. —J. 

 Salleron often meets with well made thermometers, the 

 indications of which are erroneous to 8° or io°, or more. 

 Such changes occur at printing ink works, where oils 

 are heated for several days to 270° ; in glycerin works, and 

 with rectifiers of benzol. Glass is not merely modified 

 when heated to 300 ; it undergoes true deformations 

 at far lower temperatures. Thus the hydrometers used 

 in sugar works, which are often exposed for a con- 

 siderable time to temperatures of 95 , are affected. After 

 an immersion of some days they are completely modified : 

 their weight decreases, and they become erroneous to the 

 extent of 7° or 8° B. 



The Magnetic Apparatus of M. Edard. — Among 

 other electric or magnetic appliances for the treatment of 

 various diseases is mentioned a magnetic sand, which M. 

 Edard imports from the Isle of Bourbon, and which has 

 been subsequently found near Morbihan. Its application 

 is said rapidly to revive diseased plants. 



Spectroscopic Studies of the Sun, Conducted at the 

 Observatory of Paris.— L. Thollon asserts that the sun 

 has entered on a period of activity, and he has described 

 and figured certain luminous protuberances, to one of 

 which he ascribes a height of more than 100,000 kilometres. 



Dr. J. H. Gladstone read a paper " On the Specific Re- 

 fraction and Dispersion of Isomeric bodies " before the Phy- 

 sical Society of London. He concluded that the dispersion 

 of a body containing carbon of the higher refraction, is 

 very much greater than that of a body containing carbon of 

 the normal refraction (5), and that isomeric bodies which 

 coincide in specific refraction coincide also in specific dis- 

 persion. 



Ultra-violet Rays. — J. L. Shdnn has ascertained the 

 position of the ultra-violet rays of the spectra of cadmium, 

 zinc, thallium, calcium, indium, magnesium, iron, and 

 aluminium. His apparatus is well adapted for the study 

 of absorption spectra ; a column of water of 10 centime- 

 tres contained between two plates of quartz absorbs 

 the greater part of the ultra-violet rays, whilst a block of 

 very pure ice of 21 centimetres does not sensibly absorb the 

 rays of cadmium in this portion of the spectrum. 



