PRESERVATION OF ALIMENTARY VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 357 
colorless, four-sided prisms, which cannot be distinguished from 
those of the sulphate of quinine. Indeed in the dry state it would 
be perfectly impossible to distinguish between these two com- 
pounds without the aid of chemical reagents. 
Iodide of morphine is not perceptibly soluble in cold water ; it 
dissolves abundantly in hot water and readily in alcohol ; the solu- 
tions have a very bitter taste. Analysis gave — 
Morphine, . . . 71-4 1 = 3927-0 71-24 
Iodine, .... 28-6 1 1585-6 28'76 
The author draws attention to the probably important medicinal 
properties of these compounds. — London Chem. Gaz,, April 1, 
1851, from Jahrb.fur Prakt. Pharm., xx. p. 321. 
ON THE PRESERVATION OF ALIMENTARY VEGETABLE 
SUBSTANCES. 
By M. Masson. 
This process consists, first, in drying the matters at a moderate 
temperature in a stove for such time as is sufficient to expel the 
superabundant water which is not indispensible to the constitution 
of the vegetables, and then pressing them strongly in a hydraulic 
press. 
The substances are first carefully picked, and the harder portions 
separated, as in the ordinary culinary method. They are next 
placed upon sieves of basket-work, or pieces of linen or canvass 
nailed upon a frame, and exposed to the action of hot air in a stove 
heated to about 1 18° F., for the most aqueous vegetables. A cur- 
rent of the heated air passes continually through the apparatus 
during the operation. 
Some experiments were made by the Commission of the Academy 
to test the process. 
920 kilogrms. of broccoli were picked, and yielded 725 kilo- 
grms. of green matter for drying. After exposure in the drying 
apparatus for twenty-four hours to a temperature varying from 
104° to 118° F., they were reduced to 69 kilogrms. of dry matter, 
having thus lost 656 kilogrms. of water, or 87 per cent, of their 
