SACCnOLACTIC ACID CONVERTED INTO SUCCINIC; J43 



A. 1. Two hundred gram. [3098 grs,] of saccholactic Subjected to 

 ncid were introduced into a glass retort, to which a tubu- ry :sU * uo *v 

 lated receiver was adapted, and from this a tube proceeded 

 to the pneumato-chemical apparatus. The retort being 

 placed on the naked fire, the saccholactic acid began to 

 swell, grew black, and soon entered into fusion. First a 

 white liquid passed into the receiver, then a yellow, accom- 

 panied with a heavy white vapour, and followed by a small 

 quantity' of empyreumatic oil. Carbonic acid gas wa* 

 evolved, with a little carburetted hidrogen gas. The mixture 

 of these gasses had a peculiar aromatic smell, by no mean* 

 tlisagreeable. At the end of the distillation, about GO gram. 

 [926 grs.] of a transparent brown liquid were found in the 

 receiver, and a yellowish erystal'ization. Neither the gas- 

 eous nor liquid products ever furnished any nitrogen. In 

 the retort was a light coal, of a lustre almost metallic, Coal 

 which afforded some, traces of lime when incinerated. 



This same coal was treated repeatedly with boiling nitric treated with ni- 



acid. Being then heated with caustic soda, it dissolved in tn , ca ^f & d , ls * 

 ' solved by s<*ia. 



it, and produced a blackish brown liquid. Nitric acid threw 

 down a deep brown precipitate from this solution. As the 

 coal had considerably increased in weight, the author sup- 

 poses he had formed the oxided coal of Proust. 



• 2. The brown distilled liquid was poured off from the Liqukfin the 

 crystals, and mixed with water, which separated from it a 1LCUVer * 

 black empyreumatic oil: it reddened infusion of litmus; 

 and had a pungent empyreumatic smell, but not ammoni- 

 acal. Being saturated with soda, neither prussic acid nor 

 ammonia was evolved from it by heat. The liquid, being 

 evaporated to dryness, was in part acetate of soda; but the 

 base was probably saturated by some other acid also. The 

 neutral solution was precipitated by a great number of me- 

 tallic and other salts; as the nitrates of silver, mercury, 

 copper, and lead, the muriates of iron and barytes, the sul- 

 phate of manganese, and the acetate of lime. 



3. The crystallized mass sublimed to the Lop of the retort Properties of 

 had the following properties. Ihe sublimed 



a. Heated in a silver spoon over the flame of a candle, it 

 melted, and evaporated entirely, leaving scarcely a trace of 

 charcoal. The vapour was inflammable. 



b. Alcohol 



