TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 49 



lution a large quantity of alcohol was added ; a copious precipitation 

 of white flocks ensued ; these were emulsin. From the other half the 

 emulsin was separated by bringing the solution to tlie boiling point, 

 when it precipitated in flocky coagula. The emulsin precipitated by 

 alcohol was carefully washed with alcohol, and then diied over sulphu- 

 ric acid in the vacuum of an air-pump, to avoid the effects of heat. In 

 this state it possessed the following characters : it is a white powder, 

 destitute of taste and smell, soluble in water, insoluble in alcohol and 

 ether. When submitted to analysis in the usual way, the following 

 results were obtained : 



I. -Si'SSgrns. gave •6180grns. CO2 and -S^i^grns. H-2 O. 



II. •3625grns. gave -6365 grns. CO2 and -2505 grns. I-I2 O. 



The relation of the carbon and azote, as determined by experiment, 



was 6 00.2 : 1 N or 3C : IN. From these data, which the authors 



would desire to state only with diffidence till better confirmed, the 



following composition may be deduced : 



I. II. 



48-555 



18-74.2 



7-677 



25-026 



100-000 100-000 



The fact of tlie existence of the substance operated on in the almonds 

 appears to be established by its acting on amygdalin in the same man- 

 ner as the milk of almonds in the case alluded to in the commencement 

 of the paper. After numerous trials with various re-agents, its most 

 distinguished character was elicited by the phenomena exhibited when 

 boiled with barytes. During the whole of the boiling, which was con- 

 tinued for above six hours, ammonia was slowly and continuously dis- 

 engaged. Through the solution a current of carbonic acid was passed 

 and the whole filtered ; the clear solution was evaporated to dryness, 

 and the residual salt, which contained a large quantity of barytes, pos- 

 sessed a strongly bitter taste, leading to the conclusion that emulsin 

 is an amide, and that the salt formed by the action of barytes is a com- 

 pound of barytes with an acid which it is proposed to term emulsic 

 acid. From this fact the authors are inclined to infer that fibrin, ge- 

 latin, casein, &c., are all amides. 



Examination of Spkene, By Thomas Richardsok. 



The author having been supjilied with two specimens of sphene by 

 Mr. Hutton, of Newcastle, submitted them to analysis. One of these, 

 from Arendahl, in Norway, possessed a specific gravity of 3-425 : — co- 

 lour, light brownish yellow; — translucent; — brittle ; — fracture uneven; 

 — lustre vitreous, inclining to resinous. The mineral was fused with 

 carbonate of soda, and the fused mass digested in the cold with dilute 



VQL. VII. 1838. E 



