328 PJuenomena afforded ly Animal Matters 



and grease, when subjected anew to the action of nitric 

 acid at the temperature of about 50**, imderwent no very 

 remarkable change. Its yellow colour was converted to a 

 whitish ; its specific gravity and volume were diminished, 

 but without any motion or effervescence in the acid ; it red- 

 dened blues verv strongly ; it dissolved, as before, in a so- 

 lution of potash, to which it communicated an orange red 

 colour; and its taste was extremely acrid. The action of 

 the nitric acid upon the yellow substance extends no further 

 than reducing it nearly to the state of an oil, and does not 

 destroy the acid properties which were originally commu- 

 nicated to it. 



IV. The nitric acid which had been employed in the de- 

 composition of the muscular flesh was next examined. Its 

 yellow colour resembled much the colour of a solution of 

 chromate of potash. During the supersaturation of the li- 

 quor with carbonate of potash it first assumed an orange 

 colour, then became muddy, and let fall a small quantity 

 of an orange red powder. When this mixture was sub- 

 jected to distillation it gave over a clear liquor, without co- 

 lour, of a rancid greasy smell, and containing a small por- 

 tion of ammonia, probably formed by the action of the 

 nitric acid. What remained in the retort had assumed a 

 dark brown colour; but it was neglected to be examined. 



Another portion of nitric acid which had been employed 

 in the same way yielded on distillation a colourless liquor, 

 having the same taste and odour. The liquid remaining in 

 the retort assumed a deeper yellow when concentrated, and 

 its re-action on the nitric acid became speedily apparent by 

 the copious disengagement of red vapours ; when reduced 

 to forty grammes it crystallized in flattened needles, in the 

 midst of a mother water which was thick and tenacious 

 like a solution of gum. 



The mother water was of an acid and bitter taste^ assumed 

 a blood red colour on the addition of a small quantity of pure 

 potash, and when mixed with alcohol let fall a \\hite floccu- 

 lent matter which formed into fine semi-transparent grains, 

 having an agreeablv acid taste. Five decigrammes of this 

 salt left after calcination twentv-one centigrammes of a vcl- 

 lowish residuum, which was very light, and dissolved with 

 effervescence 'n nitric acid : the solution yielded on evapo- 

 ration needles of sulphate of lime and nitrate of potash. 

 This saline precipitate, thrown down by alcohol, was found 

 to consist of a mixture of sulphate of lime and acidulous 

 oxalate of potash. 



The mother water already treated with alcohol yielded, 

 2 on 



