154 
MISCELLANY. 
alcohol then yields a tincture, from which, on long standing, a white, 
crystalline, highly volatile camphor-like substance, with a burning 
taste, is deposited. The liquid separated from this, yields, on evapora- 
tion, a dark green resin, which has a burning taste, gradually hardens 
by exposure to the air, and greatly resembles euphorbium; the author 
also found gallic acid. — Ibid, from Archiv. der Pharm. 
Notice respecting Veratrine. — According to M. Versmann, the veratrine 
of commerce frequently contains lime, resulting from the employment 
of lime in its preparation. A small quaniity of lime, moreover, facili- 
tates the drying, and renders the preparation more beautiful. It is 
easily detected on incineration, and is best removed by dissolving the 
veratrine in spirit, precipitating with sulphuric acid, filtration, driving 
off the alcohol, and precipitating the veratrine with ammonia, — Ibid, 
from Buchn. Rept. 
Observations on Creosote, By M. Deville. — According to the author, 
the following rule may be applied to several of the resins, viz : that on 
their destructive distillation they yield the same oil (or at least one iso- 
meric) as that from which they originated. The body formed on the 
distillation of guaiacum resin, C 14 H 16 O 4 , called by the author hydruret 
of guaiacyle, resembles in every respect creosote (C 14 H 16 O 2 ), and may 
be considered as its oxide. Creosote colours salts of iron blue, guaia- 
cum oil colours thern brown; both give with bromine crystalline com- 
pounds in which substitution occurs. Creosote may be regarded as the 
alcohol of the benzoyle series ; both yield, when treated with sulphuric 
acid and chromate of potash,a peculiar salt of chrome; neither of them be- 
come coloured by exposure to the air if in the pure state. Creosote would 
therefore range in the class of essential oils which are regenerated by 
distillation; and this would explain why it is not obtained from all 
woods, and likewise why it appears to have a different composition ac- 
cording to its origin. — Ibid, from Ann. der Chim. et der Phys. 
An Account of the artificial formation of a Vegeto- alkali. By George 
Fownes, Esq. — The substance which is the subject of investigation in 
this paper, is a volatile oil, obtained by distillation from a mixture of 
bran, sulphuric acid and water, and is designated by the author by the 
name of furfurol. Its chemical composition is expressed by the formu- 
la C 15 H 6 O 6 , and its properties are the following: — When free from 
water and freshly rectified, it is nearly colourless; but after a few 
hours, it acquires a brownish tint, which eventually deepens almost to 
blackness. When in contact with water, or when not properly rendered 
