352 
MISCELLANY. 
at the same time that the hydrogen is undergoing combustion, and coming 
in contact with the drop of water held above, forms with it a strong or weak 
solution of arsenical acid, according to the quantity of arsenic present, 
should that substance have been in the mixture submitted to examination. 
A very minute drop of Hume's test (the ammoniacal nitrate of silver) being 
now dropped on the solution so obtained, if arsenic be present, the well 
known characteristic lemon color produced by this test, when used for 
testing that substance, is immediately produced, namely, the insoluble ar- 
senite of oxide of silver. Antimony, under these circumstances, from 
being insoluble, produces no change. I have found it useful, when much 
arsenic has been present in the matter submitted to examination, to use a 
clean glass tube, six inches long, and about half an inch in diameter. 1 slight- 
ly moisten theinterior of the tube with distilled water, not allowing the hands 
or fingers to come in contact with the water : the tube thus prepared, is to 
be held vertically over the apex of the jet of burning gas. By these means 
a strong solution of the substance is obtained, and which may be tested 
with perfect ease by Hume's test, or any other of the usual tests employed 
for arsenic, &c. 
I hope that the foregoing process will be found to possess all the deli- 
cacy and precision necessary for distinguishing these two bodies from each 
other, and that it will be the means of removing every doubt from the minds 
of the experimentalists in future. — Lond. and Edin. Phil. Journ. 
Cissampetine a new vegetable base, by A. Wiggers. — M. Wiggers has 
announced that he has found in the root of the Cissampelos Pareira, a ve- 
getable base, which he obtained by boiling this root several times in wa- 
ter containing sulphuric acid ; and mixing the brown decoction with car- 
bonate of soda ; there is thus, a precipitate of a grayish brown color pro- 
duced, which is washed with, and re-dissolved in water, acidulated with 
sulphuric acid. This solution is treated with animal charcoal; the car- 
bonate of soda then forms a slightly yellow precipitate, which is dried, 
pulverised, and treated with successive portions of ether. There is ob- 
tained a solution almost colorless, which, on distilling off the ether, aban- 
dons the cissampeline ; to purify completely this substance, it is dissolved 
in weak acetic acid ; and again precipitated carbonate of soda from this 
weak solution which is to be slightly heated; it is to be carefully washed 
and dried, M. Wiggers proposes to publish hereafter, the results of more 
complete researches upon this base. 
It is known, that M. Feneulle, who has likewise been occupied with 
the study of the Pareira brava, has pointed out the existence of a yellow 
bitter principle, in which the active properties of this root appear to reside, 
Is not this yellow bitter principle the cissampeline in an impure state 1 
A. G. V. 
Ann. des. Pharm., and Jour, de Pharm. 
