On f/te Torpid Slate of the North- American AUtgator. 143 



arable on the acldltion of alcohol becomes inniiediatelv 

 niilky^ and long retains tliis appearance, no kind of powder 

 separating even in several davi. 



4. The white powder, when thrown on burning coals, 

 melts like sugar and evaporates, diti'uslng a white, thick, 

 pungent smoke, with a smell of burnt sugar. After this 

 combustion a light residuum only remains, which runs into 

 the coal. Starch emits a similar smoke, but does not melt, 

 and leaves a coally residuum much iiTcater in quantity. 

 Gum-arabic under the same circumstances gives out scarce- 

 ly any smoke. 



When heated over charcoal in an iron spoon, the powder 

 first melts and emits the smoke above described ; but as 

 sonnas the spoon becomes red hot, it burns with a vivid 

 light flame, and leaves a very trifling coally residuum. Starch 

 under the same circumstances does not melt, is much 

 longer before it burns, and leaves a considerable residuum 

 of coally matter. Gum-arabic only sparkles, does not 

 take Are, and leaves a great deal of coal, which is readily 

 convertible into grayish ashes. 



5. From this powder, by dry distillation, we obtain a 

 brown empyreumatic acid, having the smell of pyroxalic 

 acid, hut nosie of empyreumatic oil. 



G. Xilric acid transforms the powder into malic and 

 oxalic acids, without producing a single atom of sac- 

 cholactic acid, which gum-arabic furnishes very abundantly 

 when treated in the same manner; nor does it yield any of the 

 fatty matter generated by the action of nitric acid on starch. 



It follows from all these phasnomena, th'it this fari- 

 naceous powder extracted from elecampane root is nei- 

 ther starch nor gum, but a peculiar vegetable substance 

 holding a middle rank between the two. It is probable 

 that it exists in many other vegetables, and that several 

 products hitherto considered as starch are of the same 

 nature as this farina. 



XXXI, Facts relative to the Torpid State of the North- Ame- 

 rican Alligator. J5y Bexjamin Smith Barton, M.D*. 



It has not, I think, been remarked by the generality of the 

 writers on natural history, that the North American Alli- 

 gator passes during the prevalence of cold weather into the 

 torpid state. Thi >, however, is unquestionably the case in 

 some parts of the continent. 



• From The FhitUihlpl.ia Medual and Physical J'jurftal, edited by Dr 

 Barton. 



Mr. 



