on Alcohol at common Temperatures, 363 



Glyoxylate of Lime, C^ H^ Ca 0^*. 



The crude salt is purified by repeated crystallization from boil- 

 ing water. It forms small, hard prisms, which can be heated to 

 160° or 170° C. without undergoing any alteration in weight. 

 They become yellow at 180° C, lose water and carbonic acid, 

 whilst oxalate and glycolate of lime and a resinous substance 

 remain. Exposed to a higher temperature on a piece of platinum 

 foil, the smell of burning sugar is emitted, and carbonate of lime 

 formed. One part dissolves in 177 parts of water at 8° C. The 

 solution may be boiled without producing any decomposition of 

 the glyoxylate of lime ; it is precipitated by alcohol, and shows 

 the following behaviour with reagents : nitrate of silver or baryta 

 and chloride of copper do not produce a precipitate ; acetate of 

 lead throws down a white crystalline salt, which easily dissolves 

 in acetic acid; lime-water acts in a similar manner. The pre- 

 cipitate is soluble in acetic acid immediately after its formation, 

 but not after it has stood some time, or been exposed to a higher 

 temperature. Oxalic acid separates the lime completely as oxa- 

 late of lime, and liberates the glyoxylic acid. A small quantity 

 of solid glyoxylate of lime, heated with a solution of nitrate of 

 silver and ammonia in a test-tube, produces a bright coating of 

 silver on the glass. 



Analysis gave the following results : — 



I. 0-2165 grm., dried in vacuo, furnished 0*172 grm. CO^ 

 and 0*055 grm. water. 



0*1945 grm. dissolved in water and precipitated by oxalate of 

 ammonia gave, after treatment according to the usual method, 

 0*090 carbonate of lime. 



II. 0*5175 grm. furnished 0*409 grm. CO^ and 0*1265 HO. 

 0*405 grm. gave 0*183 grm. carbonate of lime. 



III. 0*330 grm. gave 0*151 grm. carbonate. of lime. 



A small quantity of the substance burnt with soda-lime did 

 not yield any ammonia. The residue did not contain a nitrogen 

 compound. Another quantity of the same material was heated 

 with potassium ; no cyanide of potassium was produced. There- 

 fore the glyoxylate of lime does not contain nitrogen. 

 In 100 parts, — 



I. II. III. 



Carbon . . 21*70 21*55 

 -Hydrogen . 2-80 2*71 ... . 



Calcium . . 18*50 18*07 18*3 



Oxygen 



* C=12, H=l, Ca=20, 0=16. 

 2B2 



