certain Vegetable Salifiable Bases. 285 



been examined, which is their very feeble saturating power in re- 

 gard to the acids, or in other words, the high equivalent number by 

 which they are represented. 



In respect to cinchonia, 100 parts were found to require for sa- 

 turation a quantity of diluted sulphuric acid, equivalent to 12.7 of 

 real acid ; of the sulphate of cinchonia thus obtained which crys- 

 tallizes in quadrangular prisms without retaining water, 24 grains 

 furnished by decomposition with muriate of baryta 8 grains of 

 sulphate of baryta, equal to 2.72 sulphuric acid, so that upon 

 these data the number 315 will be the prime equivalent of cincho- 

 nia, that of sulphuric acid being zr 40. From the experiments 

 of Messrs. Pelletier and Caventon, it appears that 100 parts of 

 cinchonia saturate 13.02 of real sulphuric acid, proportions 

 agreeing very nearly with those obtained in the laboratory of the 

 Royal Institution, by Mr. Faraday. 



Quinia saturates a still smaller quantity of the acids than cin- 

 chonia; by direct experiments, and by the analysis of the crystal- 

 lized sulphate, 360 parts of quinia were found to neutralize 40 of 

 real sulphuric acid. 



The equivalent of morphia deduced from' the experiments of 

 MM. Pelletier and Caventou, (Journal de Phar.,v.) appears to be 

 about 325, and that of strychnia 380. Ann. de Chim. et Phys. 155.) 



These substances, therefore, arranged in the order of their satu- 

 rating powers, stand in the folio. ving order, the annexed numbers 

 being their prime equivalents in reference to hydrogen as unity. 



Cinchonia 315 



Morphia 325 



Quinia 360 



Strychnia 380 



In detailing the above experiments, I have purposely avoided 

 any allusion to the equivalent ratios in which the ultimate elements 

 of the substances analyzed may be supposed to be associated, for 

 I am not sufficiently convinced that the methods are susceptible of 

 that extreme and rigorous accuracy which they should be, to serve 

 as the foundations of so refined an application of the theory of 

 proportionals. 



