OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 29 



A boiling solution was allowed to stand overnight at a temperature 

 of about 20°. For three hours before tiltering. it was kept at 20°, 

 with constant stirring. Portions of the filtered solution were weighed, 

 evaporated, and the residue dried at lo5°, — 



1. 39.020 grm. solution gave 0.0083 grm. residue. 



2. 49.854 grm. solution gave 0.0111 grm. residue. 



The solution saturated at 20° contained, therefore, in percentages, — 



1 2 



0.0213 0.0223 



As the mean of these determinations, we find that there is required 

 for the solution of one part of methyluric acid 253.6 parts of boiling 

 water, and 4596 parts of water at 2(1°. 



The aqueous solution reddens litmus feebly, and decomposes car- 

 bonates readily on heating. A solution in potassic or sodic hydrate is 

 not precipitated by carbonic dioxide. From a concentrated cold solu- 

 tion, stronger acids precipitate it gelatinous, from hot or dilute solutions 

 crystalline. 



With bases metliyluric acid forms a series of definite salts, some of 

 which have been studied by Mr. O. R. Jackson in this laboi-atory. 

 The results of this investigation he presents to the Academy in a 

 separate communication. He has shown tliat the monomethyl ether 

 of uric acid is itself a dibasic acid, like uric acid; a fact which is 

 certainly remarkable, and of obvious theoretical importance. 



Action of Hydrochloric Acid. 



In 1867, Streeker* showed that uric acid heated with fuming hydro- 

 chloric or liydriodic acid to 170° assimilates five molecules of water, 

 giving carbonic dioxide, ammonia, and glycocoll, — 



C,H,X,03 + 5H,0 = 3C0, + 3NH3 + C,H,NO,. 



The inferences which he drew f from this reaction concerning the 

 structure of uric acid are well known. Emmerling$ has I'ecently 

 shown that cyanogen gas passed into boiling hydriodic acid is converted 

 into glycocoll, and seeks thus to give Strecker's reaction a new interpre- 

 tation. In either case, however, it seemed to me of importance to 



* Ann. Cliem. u. Pliarm. 146, 142; Zeitschr. fur Chem. 1868, 215. 



t Zeitschr. fiir Cliem. 1868, 363. 



t Bericlite Deutsch. Cliem. Gesellsch. VI. 1351. 



