gluten, at a temperature beyond | 40 of Reaumur. 2. The fecula undergoes no change during fermentation. 3. The quantity of alcohol depends on the fecula. 4. By germination the gluten acquires the property of converting into sugar more fecula than the grain contains. 5. The formation of sugar in grains after germination is a chemical, and not simply a vegetative process. 6. The fecula in malt is in a state of sugar, and not precipitable by gall nuts. Royal Institute of France. Gay Lusac by decomposing the prussiat of mercury by muriatic acid, has found it to be a hydracid, con taining carbon 44.39; azot 51.71; hydrogen 3.90; or vapour of carbon one volume, hydrogen and azot half a volume each. He calls the radical of this acid, cyanogen, and the acid itself hydrocyanic acid. Cyanogen may be procured by exposing prussiat of mercury to a lamp heat; it comes over in the form of a gas of spec. gr. 1.8 absorbable in water which takes up four volumes, a sharp taste, the gas burns with a (blue and)purple flame. Heat from pressure and friction. Thomson's Annals, vol 7, p. 241. Dr. Thomson observed the drag wheels of some loaded waggons on Blackfriars bridge, excite so much heat on the wet pavement, that the moisture was raised by it in manifest steam. Composition of alcohol. Ib. 243. Alcohol, olefiant gas and vapour of water, of each one volume. Other, olefiant gas 2 volumes, vapour of water 1 volume, according to Gay Lusac. In an experiment on the strength of iron used for cables at Blackwall, near London, an iron wire of 1.25 inch diameter was broken by a weight of 40 tons. That is an iron wire of English iron of .078 inch diameter, requires 348.88 lbs. to break it, whereas in count Sickengen's experiments a wire .078 of an inch of Swedish iron, required 549.25 lbs. to break it. M. H. F. Link, (Thomson's Ann. June, 1816,) has ascertained that the chemical properties of gluten and albumen are extremely alike, not differing more than different varieties of resin or gum. In the Annals of Phil. for Aug. 1816, Dr. Thomson gives a memoir by himself on phosphuretted hydrogen gas discovered in 1783, by M. Gingembre. The usual methods of obtaining this gas, are 1st, dissolving phosphorus in a boiling alkaline solution: or 2dly, mixing together 2 ounces of fresh slacked lime, a quarter of an ounce of phosphorus in grains, and half an ounce of water in a retort, which produces much gas for a long time: or 3dly, putting phosphorus into a mixture of sulphuric acid, water, and zinc, in the common proportions for procuring hydrogen: or 4thly, decomposing phosphuret of lime previously made by heat in a glass tube, with water, to which Dr. Dr. Thomson in the same vo- Thomson adds a new process: lume has given an analysis of his 5thly, fill a tubulated retort, holdown paper on the constituents anding about 12 cubic inches up to H. Chevreul has found the sugar of diabetic urine to possess all the characters of sugar of grapes. Ann. de Ch. xcv. 319. 1 the tubulated mouth with a mix-, ture of one part muriatic acid, and three parts of water previously boiled. Drop into this half an oz. of phosphuret of lime in lumps. Put in the stopper, fill the neck of the retort with water previously boiled, plunge the beak of the retort in a tub of water previously boiled; apply a gentle heat, and you will get about 70 cubic inches of pure phosphorated hydrogen gas. It is colourless-an onionodour-not decomposed by con. tact with pure water, but speedily by water containing common air -burns spontaneously in common air if the heat arises to 148 Fahr. otherwise the phosphorus only combines, and the hydrogen in equal bulk with the whole remains behind-decomposed by the electric spark, &c. Contains by weight of hydrogen, and 12 of phosporus. Spec. grav. 902. Phosphorous acid 1.5, phosphorus, 1, oxygen: phosphoric 1.5 phosph. 2. oxyg. The paper deserves attentive perusal. 13 13 D. Wilson, esq. has proposed an oxymuriat of alumine for discharging colours in dyed goods, in lieu of oxymuriat of potash or lime. Mr. John Henderson has found a new acid in rhubarb. I believe Mr. Robert Hare was the first person who applied the flame of oxygen and hydrogen gases to the fusion of metallic and earthy substances: this apparatus was so complicated as to be with difficulty constructed or even comprehended, but it produced effects much greater than before known. dle with a funnel to admit water poured in, two stop cocks to regulate the issuing of the gas, and a common tube where the gasses are mixed and whence they issue, constitute the whole of this very neat and effectual apparatus, which has for many years been in use in this city among experimenters, and fully answers the purpose. Dr. E. D. Clarke of Cambridge, in England, has lately mixed in a bladder or oiled silk bag, two measures of hydrogen with one of oxygen; and attaching the bladder to a condensing engine fixed in a copper reservoir, the gasses are condensed, and in this state are made to issue out of a small aperture. The idea first appears to have suggested itself in England to Mr. Newman, and the apparatus goes by the name of Newman's blowpipe. The effects of this machine are much the same with Mr. Cloud's blowpipe, but stronger In Mr. Cloud's, platinum melts when a thin edge is exposed to the flame, but not so readily as it is described to do, in Newman's apparatus, which certainly promises to be an important improvement on the method of exciting artificial heat. Mr. Donovan proposes to obtain pure silver thus: dissolve 240 grains of standard silver in just enough of pure nitric acid of sp. gr. 1.2: filter, wash with distilled water, precipitate by a bright plate of copper, weighing more than 64 grains. Wash the precipitate in distilled water, boil in liquid ammonia, again wash and dry on a filter. The quantity of copper necessary to precipitate 100 grains of silver is 28.7 grains. The loss of silver by this process amounts to about 3 per cent. Mr. Cloud of the Mint of Philadelphia, greatly simplified the apparatus for this purpose by a copper cylinder divided by a soldered partition in the middle, so that one side Mr. Hume of Long Acre proholds hydrogen, and the other oxy- poses the following method of gen. A pipe divided in the mid-making emetic tartar. Boil the common black sulphuret of antimony in nitric acid largely diluted with water. Wash the oxyd produced; then boil it with supertartrite of potash, filter, evaporate, chrystallize. Tilloch. Ap. 1816. M. Gehlen found that sulphat❘ of soda in a glass pot was decomposed by the silex which united with the soda. He says, an excellent composition for drinking glasses, is, 100 sand, 50 dry sulphat of soda, from 17 to 20 of quicklime in dry powder, and 4 of charcoal. He says, 1. The sulphat of soda may be employed in making glass without any other flux. 2. Its vitrification is greatly assisted by lime, but is not perfect without charcoal 3. The charcoal is necessary to decompose the sulphuric acid. 4. In flint glass, metallic lead may supply its place. a green colour to nitric acid, which usually turns indigo yellow.) Dobreiner has amalgamated hydrogen with mercury, by introducing a globule of this metal in a vessel of water, and placing it near the negative pole of a galvanic battery. Oxygen was given out by the positive wire, but no gas from the negative; the mercury however, was attracted by it, and gradually converted into an amalgam. (We see above, that indigogene is also said to amalgamate with mercury: otherwise than hogstard?) broken by falling substances,—of being choaked with coal dust,and being soon burnt away from the thinness of the wire, and the smallness of the meshes; but these are inconveniences that practice will correct, and the ingenuity of the discovery remain to the lasting honour of the inventor. So many descriptions of Sir H. Davy's safety lamp have been given, and may be found in so many publications, that I do not think it necessary to give a full account here of this important discovery, of which, the merit appears to me, exclusively owing to that very able man's scientific reJ. Murray, Esq. has sent to Dr. searches. It manifestly however, Tilloch an account of indigogene.labours under the hazard of being Phil. Mag. for June, 1816. Indigo projected on red hot iron emits a blue vapour, condensible into acicular chrystals of a copper colour. It is soluble in sulphuric and nitric acids, given to each a green colour. It is not soluble in muriatic acid, or in caustic potash, or ammonia. Soluble in cold olive oil, in hot naptha, and cajeput oil; from the two latter it may be procured again unaltered. Soluble also, in hot alcohol, and sulphuric ether, and by camphorated alcohol. It detonates with nitre, and explodes with flame on being struck by a hammer, with oxymuriate of potash. It forms an amalgam with mercury by heat. Scintillates and inflames in a platina spoon, with violet vapour, and a blue shade on the platina. (I should suspect it to be merely indigo in vapour, if it did not give VOL. I. MISCELLANEOUS. I omitted to mention under the article Mineralogy, a discovery of native caustic lime in the ancient bath of Santa Gonda, by Dr. Giovacchino Taddei. The bath is a laguna in the corner of a field near the high road to Pisa, which divides the plain La Catena from the mountains Cigoli and San Miniato. It has been examined by Mr. Faraday, and Sir H. Davy. 3 L The dry matter sent to England. contained per cent. lime, 82.424, silex, 10.57, iron, 2.82, alumina, 1.34, loss, 2.846. 2 Brande's Journal, 262. Wine. Wines are found to be ameliorated, and when new, to acquire the properties of old wine in a short time, by being kept in glass vessels with the mouths covered with wet bladder, tied on. The bladder dries, keeps out the air, though perhaps, not perfectly; keeps in the alcohol, which will not escape through the bladder, though water will. By degrees the tartar of the new wine is deposited. The process takes 3 or 4 months according to the surface so exposed. The process is recommended by Mr. S T. Von Sommerring, in the Memoirs of the Academy at Munich. 3. Brande, 148. Cookery. On the 17th Feb. 1816, a communication was read at the Wernerian Society from Dr. H. E. Holder, on the effect of the juice of the papaw tree (carica papaya) of the West Indies, in lessening the cohesion of muscular fibre, which is used for the purpose of rendering meat tender. It is in many cases sufficient to hang the meat for half an hour on a branch of the papaw tree. The wholesomeness of the meat is not affected by it. (The papaw tree of Pennsylvania is not the carica pa paya, but the annona triloba, porcelia triloba, or the orchidocarpum arietinum of Michaux.) Sugar-bakers or refiners, would do well to examine the new process of refinery invented by Mr. Howard, and detailed in the Annals of Philos. for Sept. 1816. Explosion of coal gas. In the same number of the Annals of Philosophy, is given an account of two coal vessels blown up by the carbonetted hydrogen emitted from the coals, having probably been set on fire by a candle Standard of weights and measures. The English Parliament seems occupied in some degree with this subject. Dr. Wollaston, Professor Playfair, and the men of science generally, in that island, · are of opinion, that the best standard is the length of a pendulum vibrating seconds, which at London is taken at 39.13047 inches. Mr. Watts of Plymouth, which is in lat. 50° 22′ 28′′ has made experiments on the length of such a pendulum at that place, and finds it 39.154187 in vacuo. No. 46. Thoms. Ann. 284. Col. Beaufoy's proposal of a falling body, does not seem so eligible. Colours. In the same number, page 292, is a table of colours, that appears to me better imagined than any I have seen. By T. Gottlob Hayne, of Berlin. T. C. BY THOMAS DOBSON, At the Stone House, No. 41, South Second Street, FOR PUBLISHING BY SUBSCRIPTION A Supplement to the Encyclopædia. THE Encyclopædia forms a General Dictionary, not only of ARTS and SCIENCES; but likewise of every branch of Human Knowledge. The plan of the Encyclopædia Britannica (from which the American edition was printed, with large additions) has received the decided approbation of the most competent judges; particularly for its superior method of arrangement in regard to the Sciences; and the publication of five extensive editions of the work in Europe, must be allowed to afford a very satisfactory proof of the favourable opinion of the public at large. The object of the present work is to supply all material omissions; to continue the Historical and Biographical, as well as the Geographical and Statistical information to the present times; and to exhibit the Arts and Sciences in their latest state of improvement. Thereby forming an important and highly valuable Sequel to the Encyclopædia.-The utility of such a Seqrel to the Encyclopædia, a work in so many hands, must indeed appear abundantly evident; but besides that object, it is proper to add, that the Supplement is arranged upon a plan by which it will, within itself, afford a comprehensive view of the progress and present state of every departn.ent of human knowledge. To the first volume will be prefixed a Dissertation exhibiting a general view of the progress of Metaphysical, Ethical, and Political Philosophy, since the revival of Letters in Europe, by Dugald Stewart, Esq. F R. SS. London and Edinburgh; and the second volume will be prefaced with a similar view of the progress of Mathematical and Physical Science, by Professor Playfair. The Work is edited in Edinburgh, by Macver Napier, Esq. F. R. S. E.; and the following Gentlemen have engaged to honour it with their co-ope ration: Rev. Archibald Alison, LL. B. F. R. S. John Aiken, M. D. F. L. S. Thomas Allan, Esq. F. R. S. L. and E. John Barrow, Esq. F. R. S. one of the Seeretaries of the Admiralty. Mr. Alexander Chalmers, F. S. A. Will. Tho. Brande, F. R. S. L. & E Pro-John Graham Dalyell, Esq. Advocate. |