144 SACCHOLACTIC ACID CONVERTED INTO SUCCINIC. 



b. Alcohol dissolves it without heat. After the evapora- 

 tion of the alcohol, bundles of aeicular crystals were left. 

 If the matter be heated to fusion, and then left to cool, it 

 forms a radiated crystallization, covered on the surface with 

 small white needles. 



c. Cold water dissolves this substance with difficulty, but 

 it is easily dissolved in four times its weight of hot water. 



d. The taste of this aqueous solution is perceptibly sour, 

 and very different from benzoic acid. It has besides no ana- 

 logy with the benzoic acid. 



e. The aqueous solution was accurately saturated with 

 soda; and a solution of muriate of iron at a maximum 

 formed in it a dirty brownish red precipitate. 



f. By way of comparative experiment, a solution of 

 succinate of soda was poured into a solution of muriate of 

 iron. The appearance was the same, except that the co- 

 lour of the precipitate was less dirty, which may be attri- 

 buted to some empyreumatic oil having remained in the for- 

 mer acid. 



Similar to sue- All the results that had been obtained indicate a great 

 einic acid. . . . . . . . . . „ . ■ 



analogy with succinic acid ; but ior more certainty it was 



purified, by washing with water the most perfect crystals, 

 which were then dissolved in alcohol, and evaporated to 

 dryness. Veryxpure succinic acid was employed compara- 

 tively with these. 

 Both gave the a. Ten parts of the purified acid were exposed to a gen- 

 same results on t ] e h eat \ n a phial over a lamp. When the acid was melted, 

 exposure to . 



heat, a white smoke arose, which was deposited on the sides oLthe 



phial in fascicular flocks of a snowy whiteness. The phial 

 being removed from the lamp, fine crystals an inch long 

 sublimed in cooling. A little coal was left at the bottom, 

 which when incinerated was found to coutain potash. 

 v aa. Ten parts of crystallized succinic acid, being treated 

 in the same manner, exhibited exactly the same phenome- 

 na ; and at the end of the process the two phials could not 

 be distinguished from each other, 

 saturation with b. One part of the acid was accurately saturated with 

 * oda » soda: and the same was done with succinic acid and soda. 



The quantity of water in these two salts with base of soda 

 was the same. 



€. The 



