1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF THILADELPHIA. 451 



augular contours which are made up of but one substance, the 

 molecule of which is simple, or at least not very complex. This 

 class includes carbon compounds as well as inorganic substances. 

 Of these may be mentioned calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, 

 calcium oxalate, amygdalin, strychnine, berberine, etc. Some of 

 these compounds are soluble in water while others are not, hence 

 we may say that there are both soluble and insoluble sphere-crys- 

 tals. As examples of the former may be mentioned the glucosides 

 and alkaloidal salts, while as examples of the latter we have cal- 

 cium phosphate and oxalate, the alkaloids, etc. 

 ""The spherites resemble somewhat the sphere -crystals, but are 

 distinguished from them by the fact that they have a more com- 

 plex composition and the individual crystals have either a somewhat 

 rounded outline or are imbedded in colloidal substances in which 

 the ^crystalline or crystalloidal character is more or less obscured 

 and hence with difficulty discerned. 



The spherites also admit of a classification into soluble and 

 insoluble bodies. The soluble spherites, or those directly soluble 

 in water, include hesperidin, inuliu and allied carbohydrates, and 

 their crystalline character is most apparent when the specimens are 

 dehydrated with alcohol. 



The insoluble spherites are not directly soluble in water, but may 

 be reudei'ed so by treatment with certain reagents. These include 

 starch and the fundamental substances entering into the composi- 

 tion of the cell-wall. The spherite character of these substances 

 is not at once apparent, but can be demonstrated by the use of 

 reagents which cause a swelling of the substances in the starch - 

 grain or in the cell wall. In a paper' communicated to the Society 



'•^ See also Journal of American Chemical Society, 1899, p. 650, and 

 American Journal of Pharmacy, 1899, p. 174. The following are the re- 

 agents that were used : 



(1) Chloral iodine + iodine solution ; of each 5 parts. 



(2) Chlor-zinc-iodide solution. 



(3) Chromic acid solution (15 per cent. )• 



(4) Calcium nitrate solution (30 per cent.). 



(5) Chloral solution (saturated), water and glycerin ; of each 5. parts. 

 To this solution as much iodine is added as the solution will take up. 



(6) Saliva. 



(7) Silver nitrate (2 per cent.). 



(8) Sulphuric acid (C. P. acid 90 parts and water 10 parts). 



(9) Taka-diastase (saturated solution). 



(10) Sodium acetate solution (50 per cent.). 



(11) Potassium hydrate solution (y^ of 1 per cent.). 



