14$ AVALYtlS or THE SMUT «F WUEAT: 



in alcohol, and precipitating most of tin? metallic salt, as well 



as galls. It composes rather less than a fourth of the smut, 



and is perfectly similar to what comes from putrified gluten. 



Ceal. 3. A coal, amounting to one fifth of its quantity, which 



gives a,black colour to the whole mass ; and is an evidence, 



as it is the product, of a putrid decomposition ; a part which 



it acts equally in mould, and in all the remnants of putrified 



•rganic compounds. 



Phcxphadc 4. Free phosphoric acid, scarcely constituting more than 



.004 of the smut, but sufficient to impart to it the property 



of reddening blue vegetable colours. 



Phosphates. Lastly the phosphates of ammonia, magnesia, and lime, 



in the proportion of a few thousandths only. 

 A mWuum of The smut of wheat then is nothing more than a residuum 

 gwm destr ^_ of the putrified grain, which, instead of its original com po- 

 tion, aent parts, starch, gluten, and saccharine matter, exhibits 

 only a kind of carbonaceous oily substance, very analogous 

 to a kind of bitumen of animal or vegeto-animal origin. 

 Futrified glu- We must here remark, that in our examination of gluten 

 ten exhibits si- decomposed by putrefaction, we found characters very simi- 

 m r resu s. ^ ^ those of the smut of wheat ; and that the products of 

 the one are so like those of the other, as to render it difficult 

 in certain cases not to confound them together. It requires 

 a man to be well practised in chemical experiments, to dis- 

 cern the slight differences, that exist between these two pu- 

 trified matters, because these differences consist only in de- 

 licate shades, that are not easily perceivable. 

 Still we are Interesting as the results of this analysis may appear, we 

 ignorant of its mus t confess, there is still a great distance from the know- 

 ledge they give us of its nature to that of its cause ; and yet 

 more to that of its contagious quality, which is proved by 

 so many experiments, as to leave no room for the slightest 

 doubt. We must own too, that these results, while they 

 indicate the smut to be the residuum of putrified farina, do 

 not entirely agree with the ideas of philosophical agricul- 

 turists, who consider this disease as the necessary product of 

 May arise contagion ; since it thus seems natural to presume it arises 

 without con- from putrid decomposition, which may proceed from any 



other circumstance as well as a communicated germe. 

 Attacks the The same results lead us equally to infer, that the pu- 



ts 1 uten . tr«scency, 



