466 Pro/. Sir Henry E. Boscoe on the Coal-tar Industry, [April 16, 



and in this respect it may prove a great boon to suffering humanity, 

 although we must remember that, as certain of the aromatic compounds 

 if administered for a length of time are known to exert a physiological 

 effect, especially on the liver, it will be desirable to use caution in 

 the regular use of saccharine until its harmless action on the human 

 body has been ascertained beyond doubt. 



Saccharine is with difficulty soluble in cold water, from hot 

 aqueous solutions it is easily crystallised. Alcohol and ether easily 

 dissolve it. Hence from a mixture of sugar and saccharine, ether 

 would easily separate the saccharine by solution, leaving the sugar. 

 It melts at about 200° C. with partial decomposition. 



The taste is a very pure sweet one, and in comparison with cane 

 sugar it may be said that the sensation of sweetness is much more 

 rapidly communicated to the palate, on contact with saccharine, than 

 on contact with sugar. The speaker expressed his thanks to the dis- 

 coverer of saccharine, Dr. Fahlberg, of Leipzic, for a complete and 

 interesting series of preparations illustrating the domestic and 

 medicinal uses of this remarkable compound, and also to his friend 

 Mr. Watson Smith for the kind aid afforded him in the experimental 

 illustration of his discourse. 



[H. E. E.] 



