414      DIALYSIS  APPLIED  TO  INVESTIGATION  OF  ALKALOIDS. 
those  of  the  provinces  of  Catana,  Palermo,  and  Trapani.  The 
sulphur  is  extracted  in  the  manner  above  described  by  means 
of  calcaroni ;  the  loss  during  the  operation  amounts  to  one- 
third  of  the  ore.  Most  of  the  sulphur  is  exported  in  the  crude 
state,  but  little  being  refined  in  the  island.  In  this  state  it  is 
divided  into  three  qualities,  the  second  and  third  being  sub- 
divided into  three  other  qualities.  The  yield  in  1861  was 
estimated  at  about  250,000  tons  of  commercial  sulphur,  of 
which  about  half  was  produced  by  the  province  of  Caltanisetta, 
a  third  by  Girgenti,  25,000  by  Catana,  and  20,000  by  Paler- 
mo ;  the  quantity  produced  by  the  province  of  Trapani  is  very 
inconsiderable.  Most  of  the  sulphur  is  exported  to  France  and 
England. 
The  price  of  this  product*  has  risen  during  the  last  few 
years ;  in  1860  it  sold  in  the  crude  state  for  from  15  to  20  frs. 
the  ton. — Lond.  Chem.  News,  from  Moniteur  Soientiftque,  v. 
799.  63. 
THE  APPLICATION  OF  DIALYSIS  TO  THE  INVESTIGATION  OF 
ALKALOIDS.    NEW  PROPERTY  OF  DIGITALINE. 
By  M.  L.  Grandeaf. 
Graham's  admirable  researches  on  molecular  diffusion  have 
given  to  chemical  analysis  valuable  processes  for  the  separation 
of  certain  bodies.  Toxicology  and  physiological  chemistry  es- 
pecially will  profit  largely  from  methods  of  dialysis. 
For  some  months  I  have  followed  up  these  researches  in  the 
medical  laboratory  of  the  College  of  France,  and  beg  permission 
to  submit  to  the  Academy  my  preliminary  results. 
Graham  has  shown  that,  by  the  aid  of  dialysis,  very  minute 
quantities  of  certain  poisons,  mixed  with  various  organic  mat- 
ters, may  be  detected,  especially  arsenious  acid  and  strychnine  ; 
and  I  have  myself  already  experimented  on  morphine,  brucine, 
and  digitaline. 
1,  Dialysis  of  Digitaline. — Place  in  the  dialyser  100  cubic 
centimetres  of  distilled  water  holding  in  solution  0  gr.  01  of 
pure  digitaline.  Suspend  the  dialysis  after  twenty-four  hours  ; 
carefully  evaporate  to  dryness  the  liquid  contained  in  the  outer 
vase  in  a  weighed  platinum  capsule.  It  will  leave  a  residue 
weighing  exactly  0  gr.  01,  with  a  bitter  taste,  and  presenting 
the  characteristics  of  digitaline,  of  which  more  further  on. 
Evaporate  to  dryness  in  a  weighed  platinum  vessel  the  liquid 
