Analytical Essay on Asparagus. 119 
yain that I have tried to produce a similar salt with the ace- 
tous acid. Iam therefore obliged to wait till I shall have 
obtained a greater quantity of the salt which this juice con- 
tains, before I can prononnce definitively on the nature of 
this acid. 
T must further observe, that the presence of ammonia 
does not authorise us to think that we cannot obtain this 
triple salt till after having allowed a commencement of al- 
teration in the juice of asparagus; for I have had it.on eva- 
porating decoctions and juices recently prepared, but always 
in smalj quantities. 
To recapitulate what I have had the honour of laying be- 
fore you, I shall detail the principal substances which have 
been furnished me by the juice of asparagus. The green 
feculent substance is itself composed of three others; the 
first insoluble in alcohol, and which approaches nearer to 
the nature of anima! matter than any that is contained in the 
vegetable. The twe others are soluble; but one of them is 
deposited on cooling. This is what I call vegetable wax. 
The latter is only obtained by evaporation, and appears to 
hold a middle nature between volatile oils and resins. 
We find in the filtered juice, 1st, Albumen, which co- 
agulates on the first ebullition: 2d, Phosphate of potash, 
of which we separate the acid in precipitating it by the ace- 
tate of lead: 3d, The same acid combined with lime, and 
heldin solution by a portion of free acetous acid: 4th, Foli- 
ated earth (de ta terre foliée) and phosphate of potash in very 
great abundance: 5th, The vegeto-animal substance which 
is found in the aqueous solution: 6th, An extractive matter 
which we Obtain after having precipitated by gall-nuts that 
portion of the extract which is insoluble in alcohol: 7th, A 
triple salt-of lime and ammonia, of which the acid is yet 
unknown to me; 8th, and lastly, A colourimg principle sus- 
ceptible of becoming red by acids and yellow by alkalis*. 
The results which I have obtained are different, as you 
observe, in several points fram those announced by M. An- 
toe; but I beg you to remark that we have not followed 
# It may be presumed that it is the acetous acid which carries the animal 
substance of the green feculum with it down to the urinary passages. 
H4 the 
