352 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



Let it not be supposed, that this salt will be useless ; I am per- 

 suaded that it will have many applications in the art of the con- 

 fectioner. It is, indeed, remarkable, that so small a quantity of 

 the combination can communicate the property of gelatinizing to 

 such large quantities of sugared water. I dissolved one part of 

 this salt obtained from the turnip root in a certain quantity of 

 warm water ; sugar was then dissolved in the liquor, and finally, 

 a very small quantity of acid added; an instant afterwards, 

 the whole became a trembling gelatinous mass, weighing 300 

 parts. I have in this way prepared aromatic jellies, perfectly 

 transparent and colourless, and very agreeable to the taste and 

 sight. By colouring rose-water with a, little cochineal, I have 

 also prepared jelly of roses, of an exquisite taste. 



The same acid added to weak solution of ammonia, forms also 

 a soluble compound, which, evaporated to dryness, leaves a neu- 

 tral insipid salt, something like gum, which separates from the 

 evaporating dish in large plates, like mica. Its solution coagu- 

 lates with diiferent substances in the same manner as the pre- 

 ceding. I dissolved one part of this combination in lOO parts of 

 water, and added alcohol, which separated a transparent jelly ; 

 this, drained on a cloth, weighed 110 parts. This salt will 

 answer, like the preceding, in the preparation of jellies ; and 

 indeed is more advantageous, since it may be readily obtained in 

 the neutral state. 



The other combinations of this acid are almost all insoluble, 

 and may be obtained by double decomposition. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid appears to have but little action 

 when cold on this acid : by means of heat it produces sulphurous 

 acid and ulmin. Nitric acid distilled to dryness with it leaves a 

 residue which with water yielded oxalic acid, and a white powder, 

 which was partly dissolved by ammonia, and left oxalate of 

 lime. An acid added to the ammoniacal solution separated a gra- 

 nular sediment, crystalline, acid, and having the characters of mu- 

 cous acid ; heated in a glass tube it blackened, fused, swelled up, 

 and produced an acicular crystalline sublimate. 



Such are the principal properties which I have observed in this 

 acid. It may be presumed that a principle thus universally spread 

 over all vegetables has an important part to play, and merits the 

 serious attention of physiologists. I am very much disposed to 

 think that it is the same thing as the Cambium^ or organizable 

 substance of Grew and Duhamel, and which appears, as is 

 known in gelatinous drops, wherever new developements are 

 forming. 



I shall endeavour in the spring to ascertain whether my conjec- 

 ture is well-founded. In the mean time I propose the name of 

 pectic acid, from tt^jxtk coagulum, to distinguish it from other 

 bodies of the same class. — Ann. de Cliim. xxviii. 173. 



