154 
Intellige.nce and Miscellaneous Articles, 
by heat, alcohol, and acids ; it has great analogy with emulsin, but 
neither albumen, emulsin, nor the synoptase of M. Robiquet can 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 facts. — Ulnstitut, 
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 slightly 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. — Ulnstitut, 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 poisonousproperties,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. — Ulnstitut, 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. 
