S4 
MISCELLANY. 
extracted, strain the solution and add finely powdered gum tragacanth 
and annotto, in small quantities at a time, till the required shade of co- 
lour is produced; mix this colouring matter with the melted resins, and 
agitate well till a perfect union takes place. If this varnish be laid over 
silver leaf or tinfoil, it will be difficult to distinguish it by the eye from 
gold. It is applicable to leather, paper, or wood; also to tin-plate ar- 
ticles. Mechanics'' Mag. 
Beet Sugar in France. — A hectare of land (nearly 2£ acres) sown with 
beets, produces, on an average, 2,400 kilogrammes of roots, or about 47 
cwt. 36 lbs., and there are many instances where a single grower raises 
from 80,000 to 90,000 kilogrammes (6,260 to 7,098 cwt.) The cultiva- 
tion costs about 8 shillings ($1 75) the 100 kilogrammes (20 cwt.) The 
quantity of sugar extracted by the present process is about seven or eight 
parts of saccharine matter from 100 parts raw root. 
Arcana of Science, 1835. 
Pomatum, to prevent the hair from falling off. — The following prepara- 
tion, which was recommended by Dupuytren, is said to be very effectual 
in preventing the loss of hair. Macerate a drachm of powdered can- 
tharides in an ounce of spirits of wine, and filter. Ten parts of this tinc- 
ture are to be well incorporated with ninety parts of lard. 
American Journ. Med. Sci. 
Jcetum Opii Sedativum. — Mr. Home has recommended the following 
formula for the preparation of this article. Take three times the quantity 
of the best opium, reduced to fine powder, that is ordered by the London 
Pharmacopoeia for two pints of tincture ; add to the opium two pints of 
dilute acetic acid ; after they have digested a few hours, add to them six 
or eight pints of rectified spirits of wine, macerate about seven days, then 
carefully filter in order to separate the insoluble parts of the opium. In- 
troduce the liquor into a retort accurately closed and distil off the spirit. 
The product in the retort will be the acetum opii. If the distillation be 
carefully conducted, the result will always prove of one uniform 
strength ; one rr^ being equivalent to three tt\, of tinctura opii, and free from 
spirit, and will keep unchangeably for a length of time. It will be found 
the same, or very similar to Mr. Battley's Liq. opii sedativus, (except the 
strength, which latter falls short, according to the opinion of our most 
able experimenters, as nearly 1 to 2, instead of 1 to 3,) a preparation 
too well known to require describing, except in regard to its mode of for- 
mation, which the preparer, in spite of his ranking as a scientific drug- 
gist, has hitherto kept a profound secret. 
The rationale of this process may be briefly stated as follows : The 
a cetic acid unites with the morphia of the opium, and forms an acetate 
