524 
EXPLOSIVE  NATURE  OF  GLONOIN. 
of  ammonia.  Supposing  that  this  behaviour  might  be  made  use 
of  in  separating,  in  an  easy  manner,  iron  from  coppersalts,  I 
made  some  experiments,  but  the  result  was  not  satisfactory. 
When  acetate  of  ammonia  is  added  to  a  solution  of  sulphate  of 
copper,  the  color  is  changed  to  blue  green,  the  color  of  the 
neutral  acetate  of  copper  ;  when  heated,  the  liquid  becomes 
turbid,  and  separates  a  considerable  quantity  of  pale  green  basic 
acetate  of  copper,  which  is  not  taken  up  again  by  cooling,  by  the 
free  acid  of  the  liquid. 
Solution  of  Iodine  in  aqueous  Ether. — When  iodine  is  dissolved 
to  saturation,  in  washed  ether,  which  has  not  been  freed  from 
water,  the  solution  separates  into  two  strata,  the  lower  of  which 
contains  all  the  water. 
Phosphate  of  Alumina  from  Nux  Vomica. — A  friend  handed  me 
a  tasteless  white  powder,  which  was  obtained  from  nux  vomica, 
as  the  result  of  an  experiment  to  prepare  strychnia  without  alco- 
hol. The  acid  decoction  of  nux  vomica  was  precipitated  by 
milk  of  lime,  the  precipitate  treated  with  sulphuric  acid,  and  the 
filtrate  precipitated  by  an  excess  of  ammonia.  When  analyzed, 
this  white  powder  was  found  to  be  composed  principally  of 
phosphate  of  alumina,  together  with  some  phosphate  of  magnesia 
and  lime,  and  a  trace  of  perphosphate  of  iron ;  it  contained  not 
a  trace  of  strychnia  or  brucia.  It  would  be  interesting  to  insti- 
tute further  experiments,  whether  the  alkaloids  can  not  be  ex- 
tracted in  the  manner  described.  On  account  of  the  presence 
of  the  earthy  phosphates,  the  use  of  alcohol  cannot  be  avoided 
by  this  process,  but  still  it  is  curious  enough  why  the  alkaloids 
were  not  taken  up  by  the  sulphuric  acid  and  precipitated  by  the 
ammonia. 
Philadelphia,  Sept.,  1860. 
ON  THE  EXPLOSIVE  NATURE  OF  GLONOIN  OR  NITROGLYCERIN. 
By  Charles  E.  Ferris. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Dear  Sir,— I  have  met  with  an  accident  (which  nearly  coss 
me  my  eye-sight)  in  the  preparation  of  "  Nitrate  of  the  oxide  of 
