Nagy et al. : Environment of Orgueil Meteorite Parent Body 535 



Organic Analyses 



Meteorite organic analyses may be divided into two types: (1) the classical 

 type analyses (which may involve the combustion of the organic matter and 

 the subsequent gravimetric determination of CO2 , the reacting of the extracts 

 with acids or alkalies); and (2) the analyses which were based upon spectro- 

 scopical (infrared, ultraviolet, mass spectrometry) and chromatographic tech- 

 niciues. Many of the former type analyses are either incompletely recorded 

 or seem to be unreliable for other reasons. Consequently, only 4 of these 

 analyses will be discussed briefly. These are: Berzelius' analysis^ of Alais in 

 1834; Wohler's analysis-* of Kaba, in 1858; Berthelot's analysis^" of Orgueil, 

 in 1868; and Mueller's analysis^ of Cold Bokkeveld, in 1953. 



Berzelius was the first to ascertain the presence of organic matter in a stony 

 meteorite.* He suggested that the Alais organic matter resembled humic acids 



Table 1 

 List of Known Carbonaceous Chondrites 



or similar organic materials and observed that the meteorite disintegrated in 

 water. 



Within approximately 1 year after its fall, Wohler obtained what was appar- 

 ently an uncontaminated sample of the Kaba meteorite. He suggested that the 

 meteorite may contain remnants of humic matter. One year later, in a shorter 

 note,* Wohler reported that he had identified bituminous material resembling 

 ozocerite in Kaba, and stated that this matter "has undoubtedly organic 

 origin." This rather important statement came 31 years after this same in- 

 vestigator had first discovered that a biochemical (urea) could be synthesized 

 from inorganic matter. One must keep in mind, of course, that facilities for a 

 comprehensive evaluation of organic compositions were somewhat limited in 

 1858. 



Berthelot was the first investigator who obtained hydrocarbons from Orgueil. 



* Berzelius' comments are of interest: ... "Es leidet folglich keinen Zweifel, dass der 

 untersuchte Stein, ungeachtet aller seiner Verschiedenheiten im Aeussern, ein Meteorstein 

 ist, welcher, aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach, aus der gewohnlichen Heimath der Meteorsteine 

 herstammt." and "Giebt diess moglicherweise einen Wink iiber die Gegenwart organischer 

 Gebilde auf anderen VVeltkorpern?" 



