Smith.] * J i'* (March 21, 



pelvis of the kidney of a doe, which had been shot by a party hunting in 

 the north-western portion of this State 



As the investigation of such calculi very frequently affords some inter- 

 esting results, I subjected this specimen to both a qualitative and quantita- 

 tive examination. 



The size of the calculus was equal to that of the egg of a pigeon. It pos- 

 sessed a fawn color and consisted of three layers encircling a rather large 

 nucleus, which presented a granular sandstone like appearance. The 

 layers were exceedingly thin, and seemed to have grown out from carbona- 

 ceous deposits, which were detected in various portions of the calculus. 



Upon testing the nucleus qualitatively the presence of silica, ferric oxide, 

 calcium oxide and phosphoric acid was clearly shown. The surrounding 

 layers were found to contain calcium and magnesium oxides, phosphoric 

 acid, sodium, potassium, uric acid and another organic compound. The 

 latter was extracted from the finely divided material by boiling the same 

 for some time with alcohol. The alcoholic filtrate yielded upon evapora- 

 tion a gelatinous mass, which proved to be the sodium salt of an acid, which 

 formed strong, colorless needles, exhibiting an hexagonal structure. Upon 

 gently warming this crystalline mass with a grain or two of sugar and a 

 drop of concentrated sulphuric acid, a beautiful purple color appeared. It 

 is true, several acids occurring in the bile give the same reaction with sugar 

 and sulphuric acid, but not any of them, that I am aware, possess the crys- 

 talline form of the above compound, nor yield a sodium salt similar to that 

 mentioned above. The only acid which in the least corresponds to the 

 previous description is that known as Lithofellic Acid, which was dis- 

 covered a number of years ago* in a variety of the deer family. The want 

 of sufficient material prevented me from making other and more decisive 

 tests to discover the real character of this compound. 



As the layers surrounding the nucleus were alike in chemical composi- 

 tion they were finely divided and a qualitative analysis made of the mix- 

 ture. 



Analysis. 

 43.15 % P,0 3 . 

 .91 % MgO. 

 2. GO % Loss on ignition. 

 2 50 % CaO. 

 51.00 % alkaline oxides. 



100.1G 



Detection of Iron by means of Salicylic Acid. By Edgar F. Smith, Ph.D. 



{Read before the American Philosophical Society, March 21, 1879.) 



AVhile working upon various substitution products of salicylic acid I had 



frequent occasion to filter solutions of the latter acid and its derivatives, 



and during this operation was continually annoyed by the constant appear- 



* Annalen d. chem. u. Phar, 39, p. 257. 



" 2-12. 



'• •• " Jl, p. 150. 



