ON  SCILLITIN. 
561 
chloride,  and  the  whole  is  thrown,  by  means  of  a  little  iron 
spatula,  into  a  red-hot  earthen  crucible,  which  is  closed  with  its 
cover.  In  a  short  time  the  reaction  takes  place.  When  all  noise 
has  ceased,  the  crucible  is  uncovered,  and  the  mixture  is  stirred 
with  an  iron  rod  until  all  the  fused  parts  are  homogeneous  and 
the  upper  part  of  the  bath  is  well  exposed,  when  the  globules  of 
magnesium  are  distinctly  seen.  The  crucible  is  allowed  to  cool 
away  from  the  fire,  and  when  the  saline  mass  is  ready  to  solidify, 
it  is  again  stirred  with  the  iron  rod,  and  all  the  little  metallic 
masses  are  collected  so  that  they  may  form  a  single  one ;  the 
whole  is  then  poured  upon  a  plate  of  iron.  By  breaking  up  the 
scoria  the  globules  of  magnesium  may  be  removed,  and  the  scoria 
may  be  fused  once  or  even  twice,  affording  a  little  more  mag- 
nesium each  time  ;  600  grms.  of  chloride  of  magnesium,  with 
100  grms.  of  sodium,  gave  45  grms.  of  magnesium. 
The  crude  magnesium  is  put  into  a  charcoal  tray,  enclosed  in 
a  tube  of  charcoal,  and  heated  nearly  to  whiteness,  whilst  a  slow 
current  of  hydrogen  traverses  the  apparatus.  The  tube  is  strong- 
ly inclined  in  the  furnace,  and  all  the  magnesium  condenses  in 
front  of  the  tray  and  is  easily  collected  when  the  tube  is  cold. 
It  is  then  fused  in  a  mixture  of  chloride  of  magnesium,  chloride 
of  sodium,  and  fluoride  of  calcium.  By  gradually  increasing  the 
quantity  of  the  latter,  which  is  added  by  degrees  to  the  fused 
bath,  the  scoria  is  rendered  less  fusible  than  the  magnesium,  so 
that  the  latter  may  be  poured  off  just  as  the  scoria  is  about  to 
solidify. 
When  the  current  of  hydrogen  is  strong  in  the  distillation  of 
magnesium,  a  small  quantity  of  a  fine  metallic  powder  is  carried 
a  good  way,  and  remains  suspended  in  the  hydrogen  which 
escapes  from  the  apparatus.  If  this  gas  be  ignited  it  produces 
a  most  beautiful  flame. — Qhem.  Gaz.,  April,  1857,  from  Comptes 
Bendus,  Feb.,  1857. 
ON  SCILLITIN. 
By  M.  Marais. 
[The  following  notice  of  scillitin  is  taken  from  an  extended  essay  on 
Squill  by  the  author,  accessible  in  the  Chemist  for  April,  1857,  and  in 
the  Journal  de  Pharmacie,  Feb.,  1857.     According  to  the  author  squill 
