the Ferment of Madder on Sugar, 16^ 



solution of the acid gives the following reactions. On adding 

 lime-water until the solution is alkaline^ no precipitate is pro- 

 duced. On boiling, a very slight flocculent deposit is formed. 

 The filtered solution leaves on evaporation a crystalline mass, 

 which dissolves again for the most part in boiling water, leaving 

 undissolved only a small quantity of carbonate of lime. The 

 filtered solution is neutral to test-paper, and on being again 

 evaporated, leaves a quantity of long white needles, consisting, 

 without doubt, of the lime salt. The taste of these crystals is 

 nauseous. When heated in a glass tube they become black and 

 give fumes, but no crystalline sublimate ; the residue dissolves 

 in acids, with effervescence, leaving some carbon undissolved. 

 On adding baryta water to the watery solution of the acid, there 

 is formed immediately a white flocculent precipitate, which is 

 soluble in muriatic acid, and is again formed on neutralizing the 

 acid with ammonia. Perchloride of iron gives no precipitate 

 in the watery solution of the acid, but in the solution of the 

 lime salt it gives a copious light brown precipitate. Acetate of 

 lead gives immediately a slight flocculent precipitate. If the 

 liquid be filtered from this precipitate, and be allowed to stand 

 for a day or two, there are formed on the bottom and sides of 

 the vessel a number of lustrous, well-developed crystals of a 

 rhombohedral form. The liquid yields on evaporation no more 

 crystals, but only a syrup of acetate of lead. Nitrate of silver 

 produces no precipitate in the watery solution of the acid, but 

 on the addition of ammonia, a copious white precipitate is formed, 

 which, on standing, becomes somewhat crystalline. This preci- 

 pitate is soluble in nitric acid and ammonia. Acetate of copper 

 gives almost immediately a blue crystalline precipitate, which 

 increases in quantity on standing. It is not soluble in boiling 

 water, but dissolves in acetic acid. These reactions coincide in 

 every, even the minutest, particular with those of succinic acid, 

 a fact of which I have convinced myself by a comparative exami- 

 nation of succinic acid derived from the usual source. The 

 analysis of the acid and its silver salt gave results which leave no 

 doubt of its perfect identity with succinic acid. 



0-2795 grm. of the crystallized acid, dried at 212° F. and 

 burnt with chromate of lead, gave 0-4175 grm. carbonic acid 

 and 0-1480 grm. water. 



These numbers correspond to the following composition :— 



Succinic acid C^ H^ O^ 



contains 



Carbon .... 40-73 40-67 



Hydrogen . . . 5-88 5*08 



Oxygen . . . . 53-39 54-25 



100-00 10000 



