476 
FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
the Veterinary Department in reference to pleuro-pneumonia. 
D uring the week ending June 20th, forty-seven case were 
returned, while for the corresponding week in last year 
seventy-nine animals were reported as affected. 
In Great Britain the disease still continues to decline. 
Daring the nine weeks ending May 29th this year, 453 cases 
were returned. In the corresponding period of last year 
734 animals were slaughtered or died affected with this 
disease. 
SWINE FEVER. 
This disease was reported to exist in thirty-three counties 
in Great Britain during the five weeks ending May 29th, and 
1088 animals were returned affected. Daring the correspond¬ 
ing period in 1879 the number was 1970. 
FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 
We have no information of the existence of foot-and- 
mouth disease in any part of the United Kingdom. 
Facts and Observations. 
Testing for Nitric Acid in Presence of Nitrous 
Acid. By A. Piccina ( Gazzetta , 9, 395—396). —This method 
is useful for detecting minute quantities of nitrates in the 
presence of large quantities of nitrites, and is founded on 
the property urea has of decomposing the latter in acid 
solution. Urea is added to the solution containing the 
nitrate, and it is then gradually added to another solution of 
urea in dilute sulphuric acid. As soon as the evolution of 
nitrogen due to the decomposition of the nitrites has ceased, 
some iodised starch is added, and then a fragment of zinc, 
when a blue coloration is produced if any nitrate is present. 
—C. E. G.— Journ. of Chem . Soc. 
