154 Intelligence a?id Miscellatieous Articles. 



by heat, alcohol, and acids ; it has great analogy with emulsin, but 

 neither albumen, emulsin, nor the synoptase of M, Robiquetcan re- 

 place it for the production of essential oil of mustard. When put 

 into contact with a solution of myronate of potash, it develops the 

 odour of mustard, and the liquor submitted to distillation yields es- 

 sential oil. It exists in black mustard, together with myronate of 

 potash; but yellow mustard on the contrary contains myronin, but no 

 myronate of potash. 



It appears that M. M. Boutron and Fremy had simultaneously 

 with M. Bussy discovered the above-described ia.cts.—'L'Instituf, 

 No. 313. 



POLYCHROMATIC ACID. 



M. Boutin has presented to the French Academy of Sciences a 

 memoir on a new substance resulting from the action of nitric acid 

 upon socotrine aloes. This product, which he calls polychromatic 

 acid, is, in the opinion of the author, of considerable importance in 

 dyeing and calico printing. By varying the mordants, it yields an 

 infinite number of tints, all of them finer and more permanent than 

 can be obtained by the usual processes. It has the appearance of a 

 reddish brown powder, is very slightl}^ soluble in water, but still 

 sufficiently so to colour a large quantity of it at common tempera- 

 tures ; it is more soluble in alcohol, and in dyeing possesses the dou- 

 ble advantage of yielding, in small quantities, much more colour than 

 the substances usually employed. 



This acid is susceptible of combining with metallic oxides, and 

 of forming salts of different degrees of solubility, and all of different 

 colours. Those which the author presented to the Academy were 

 the salts of potash and silver. — L'Institut, No. 313. 



CYANIL. 



M. Boutin also gave an account to the Academy of a new sub- 

 stance which is formed by the action of nitric acid upon aloes, or 

 rather upon polychromatic acid. This product is liquid and colour- 

 less when it has been purified by distillation from chloride of calcium, 

 and has so great an analogy, on account of its poisonousproi)erties,with 

 hydrocyanic acid, that it is natural to conclude that they are isomeric 

 bodies. It is so deleterious, that one or two drops in an eight-ounce 

 bottle, half-filled, are sufficient to impart to the air which occupies 

 the remainder of the bottle the power of immediately killing a bird 

 which is made to breathe it ; a capillary tube, slightly impregnated 

 with this liquid, and put into the eye of a bird, produces also the 

 same sudden effect. — L'Listitut, No. 313. 



ACTION OF ALBUMEN ON METALLIC SALTS. 



M. Lassaigne has presented to the Academy of Sciences researches 

 on the chemical action exerted by metallic salts on albumen and on 

 certain animal tissues. 



