668 Chronicles of Science. [Oct., 



of phyllocyanic acid which is green, or reddish- violet, or blue 

 according to the strength of the solution. M. Fremy thinks it 

 possible that chlorophyll may be a sort of soap, in which phyllox- 

 anthine plays the part of glycerine, and phyllocyanic the part of the 

 fatty acid. 



The oxidation of fatty matters has for a long time engaged the 

 attention of M. Cloez, who has recently published the results of his 

 investigations.* The author shows that it is not a simple oxidation 

 attended with the production of carbonic acid, when an oil is exposed 

 to atmospheric air. Other compounds with hydrogen he states are 

 formed, among which he has recognized acrylic and acetic acids. 

 Other volatile compounds he thinks are also formed. Oils exposed in 

 coloured glasses he finds, after a time, to oxidize faster than those 

 exposed to white light : heat likewise greatly accelerates the oxidation. 



Very little in the technical applications of chemistry calls for 

 notice this quarter. M. Pasteur has tried the effect of artificially 

 applied heat in ripening wines, and preventing what is called 

 sickness in them. He shows that a short exposure to 60° or 70° is 

 sufficient to destroy the parasitic germs, which he believes to be the 

 cause of the sickening, while the increased temperature accelerates 

 oxidation, and produces the compounds which give the flavour of age 

 to the wine. 



A. M. Pienowski has suggested the employment of acetate of soda 

 in place of common salt for preserving meat. He states that the 

 former salt is more easily removed from the meat, while the flavour 

 communicated is preferable. 



We may give here two processes proposed for obtaining oxygen 

 at a cheap rate. M. Carlevaris suggests heating binoxide of manga- 

 nese with fine sand, thus producing silicate of manganese and setting 

 free one equivalent of oxygen. M. Archereau proposes to heat silica 

 with sulphate of lime and so produce silicate of lime and set free a 

 mixture of sulphurous acid and oxygen. The former gas he removes 

 by passing the mixture through water. 



Proceedings of the Chemical Society. 



But one meeting of the Chemical Society has been held since our 

 last report. At this meeting Dr. Frankland gave a verbal account of 

 experiments by himself and Mr. Duppa on the transformation of the 

 lactic into the acrylic series of acids ; and Mr. W. H. Perkin read a 

 paper on the action of nascent hydrogen on Azodinaphthyldiamine. 

 The titles of some other communications were read, which we find at 

 length in the Journal of the Society, and may here refer to. Professor 

 Church described a new Cornish mineral of the Atacamite group, and 

 also a specimen of limonite from Cornwall. The description of these 

 will be more properly included in our mineralogical report. 



Mr. E. Warington, junior, made a communication on the occur- 

 rence of manganese in oolite and lias, and showed the presence of the 



* 'Coraptes Rendus,' t. Ixi. pp. 236, 321. 



