216 MR. E. SCHUNCK ON THE 



be seen from the following comparison of the calculated com- 

 position with that found by experiment : — 



Eqs. Calculated. Found. 



Carbon 12 72 54.96 54.22 



Hydrogen 13 13 9.92 10.12 



Nitrogen 1 14 10.68 10.16 



Oxygen 4 32 24.44 25.50 



131 100.00 100.00 



However strange the fact of leucine, a substance hitherto 

 supposed to be a product of decomposition peculiar to animal 

 matters, being obtained from the decomposition of a vegetable 

 substance, may have appeared at a former period, it will no 

 longer excite surprise at the present time, when so many dif- 

 ferent bodies have been found to be common to both classes 

 of organisms. It is a fact however which seems to imply 

 some connection, hitherto unsuspected, between leucine and 

 indigo-blue. 



The brown syrup precipitated together with leucine by the 

 addition of ether to the alcoholic solution consisted chiefly of 

 the peculiar kind of sugar produced by the decomposition of 

 indican, and to which as having a composition differing from 

 that of most other species of sugar I propose to give the 

 name of 



Indiglucine. 



In order to purify it, the brown syrup after the crystals of 

 leucine had been separated by decantation, was dissolved in 

 water and acetate of lead was added to the solution. A slight 

 precipitate was thereby produced, which was separated by 

 filtration, and on adding ammonia to the liquid, a bulky yel- 

 lowish precipitate fell, consisting chiefly of the lead compound 

 of indiglucine. This was filtered off, completely washed with 

 water and decomposed with sulphuretted hydrogen. The 

 filtered liquid was agitated with animal charcoal until it had 



