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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
brown, effervesces, and gives off acetic aldehyde, which is at once per- 
ceived on account of its odour. — Vide Journal de Pharmacie , xlv. 100. 
The Constitution of Wood-spirit is the subject of a paper lately read before 
the Chemical Society and communicated by Mr. Dancer, of Manchester. 
The author’s experiments led him to believe that there were four distinct 
compounds present in the crude spirit. By means of fractional distillation 
and other processes he was enabled to demonstrate, that besides the bulk 
of wood naphtha, which was true methylic alcohol, there were contained in 
this spirit acetate of methyl, acetone, and bimethyl-acetal. The sub- 
stance formerly described under the name of xylyl was not found present. 
The Action of Bed Phosphorus on Sulphur. — M. Lemoine finds that 
when red phosphorus and sulphur are allowed to react on each other they 
produce a new compound having the formula P 2 S 3 . This substance is 
always produced in whatever proportions the two elements employed may 
be. It is of a very stable character, not oxidising in the air, belonging 
to the “ right rhombic prism ” system, and boiling at a temperature of 
about 350° centigrade. It is very soluble in sulphide of carbon and 
chloride of phosphorus, and may be separated from the latter solution by 
means of water. It is also soluble, but with decomposition, in ether and 
alcohol. The method of producing it consists essentially in heating- 
together the two elements, then adding sulphide of carbon, which dissolves 
the new body, and thus admits of its separation from the others. — Vide 
Comptes Rendus , lviii. 20. 
Production of gummic Acid from Glucose. — When a solution of acetate 
of copper is supersaturated by a slight excess of alkali, the copper reduced 
by means of glucose, and the liquid neutralised by acetic acid, an acid 
compound may be obtained by precipitation with acetate of lead. This 
compound, which is really a gummate of lead, must now be decomposed 
by sulphuretted hydrogen, and the resulting liquor evaporated at a gentle 
heat. By this means an acid will be obtained which crystallizes in rhom- 
boid prisms, and has a taste resembling that of citric acid. Gummic acid 
loses no water at 100° centigrade, it browns at 130°, and is decomposed 
by a heat of 150°. It has the formula C c H s 0 10 , is soluble in water 
and alcohol, and forms salts with baryta, lead, and silver. — Vide Bulletin 
de la Societe Chimique , iii. 197. 
A new silica Compound. — M. Marignac states that when a gelatinous 
solution of silica is boiled with an acid solution of tungstate of potash or 
soda it is dissolved. This solution now becomes alkaline, and contains a 
new acid compound, in which one equivalent of silicic is combined with 
twelve of tungstic acid. This new combination is termed silico-tungstic acid. 
It is a strong acid, very stable, which forms two hydrates, obtainable in 
magnificent crystals. Acid tungstate of ammonia under similar circum- 
stances gives an acid, in which the equivalent of silica is united with ten 
of tungstic acid, and which is therefore designated silico decitungstic 
acid. This acid is more difficult to separate, the hydrate does not crys- 
tallize, and on drying it easily parts with some of its silica, and forms 
a third acid — tungsto-silicic , in which the constituents are present in the 
same proportions as in silico-tungstic. All these acids are quadribasic ; 
they are as soluble in water as alcohol ; and anhydrous ether forms with 
