228 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



tannins are merely compounds of this body with nitric acid, or at 

 least that they contain a very analogous product. 



NEW PROCESS FOR OBTAINING LITHIA. 



M. Quesneville jun. gives the following as his method of separat- 

 ing lithia. " I take one part of triphane, levigated, and mix it accu- 

 rately with two parts of powdered litharge : I put the mixture into 

 a crucible, and expose it to a white heat. In about a quarter of an 

 hour the mass is perfectly fluid ; I then cool it and powder it finely : 

 I afterwards act upon it by nitric acid, the silica separates in a very 

 divided state ; I precipitate all[the nitrate of lead by sulphuric acid, 

 and evaporate to dryness to expel all the nitric acid. I afterwards 

 treat it with water and precipitate the alumina and other metallic 

 oxides by ammonia, and then add carbonate of ammonia to preci- 

 pitate the lime and magnesia ; the solution is then filtered and eva- 

 porated to dryness. The mixture is to be strongly calcined to expel 

 all the ammoniacal salts ; this operation must not be performed in a 

 platina crucible, as it would be acted upon ; I use a porcelain one. 

 The calcined residue is to be treated with water, and all the sulphuric 

 acid precipitated by barytes ; the filtered liquor when evaporated 

 gives pure lithia." — Journal de Pharmacie, April, 1830. 



ANALYSIS OF A BILIARY CALCULUS. 



M. Henry was supplied with this calculus by Dr. Bally of the 

 Hotel-Dieu at Paris ; it was taken from a patient who died there ; it 

 consisted of 

 Animal matter, analogous to mucus, or rather to albumen 10*81 



Carbonate of lime 72'70 



magnesia, probably, traces 



Phosphate of lime 13*51 



Oxide of iron, fatty matter, green colouring-matter of the I a.Qo 



bile, and loss £ 



100-00 

 It was enveloped in a glairy, yellowish viscid substance, which con- 

 sisted of albumen, with traces of cholestrine, and probably also of 

 mucus, salts, and green fatty matter of the bile. — Ibid. 



ON POWDERING PHOSPHORUS. 



M. Casaseca remarks, that the method of pulverizing phosphorus, 

 mentioned by all chemical authors, is that of agitation for some time 

 in water, in a well-corked bottle : but, he observes, the powder 

 obtained by this method is very imperfect ; whereas if alcohol at 36° 

 be used instead of water, a powder of the utmost fineness is produced, 

 which has a crystalline appearance, and on agitating the liquid in 

 the sun, the bottle appears to be entirely filled with a light brilliant 

 powder. — Ibid. 



FORMIC ACID. 



This acid is obtained in a state of great purity by distilling alcohol 



with 



