127 



which was separated by the action of hydrates of potash and of 

 lime abundantly. Lime was also discovered in combination with 

 crenic acid. 



The same researches were made on brown, beet and cane 

 sugars, and the same acids and ammonia were discovered, but in 

 less quantity. 



Mr. R. Soule, Jr., while a pupil in Dr. Jackson's Laboratory, 

 made an examination of exhausted bone-black, to ascertain what 

 coloring matters ore retained by it. The substances detected con- 

 firm the researches of Dr. J. respecting the coloring matters of 

 brown sugar. They were lime, apocrenic acid, crenic acid, humic 

 acid, extract of humus and humin. 



These facts were mentioned in his public lectures at the time, and 

 they have been alluded to in the North American Review, in 

 a notice of Prof. Hitchcock's Survey of Massachusetts. 



We would call attention to this, because the same discovery has 

 very recently been announced by Herman, of Moscow, and has 

 been noticed in the New England Farmer as a discovery of much 

 interest. The discovery is properly American, and Mr. Herman's 

 researches have, independently, reached the same result, which 

 must be regarded as confirmatory of Dr. J.'s. 



He would remark, however, that he has, during the two past 

 seasons, demonstrated, by the analysis of maple sap, that the 

 organic acid which it contains is the glucic acid, which is in com- 

 bination with lime as a biglucate. This is readily converted into 

 crenic, apocrenic and humic acids by heat. Hence its origin in 

 sugar. Specimens of all the substances mentioned in this commu- 

 nication were laid upon the table. 



Dr. Jackson remarked, that he had satisfactorily proved, that the 

 gluten of Indian corn, or the zeine of Gorham, contained 5 per ct. 

 of nitrogen, which was naturally overlooked at a time when the 

 means for exactly separating that element were unknown. Corn 

 also contains 6 per ct. of oil. 



The following reflections naturally suggest themselves, on con- 

 sidering the ingredients of Indian corn : 



1st. The phosphates of lime and of magnesia are essential 

 ingredients of animal bones and of several different fibrous organs. 



2d. Phosphate of ammonia exists in the albuminous and fibrous 

 cerebral and nervous matters of animals. 



