Freuik National Institute. 1 75 



very said, in a letter from Florence, to have been made by 

 M. Pacchiani, professor at Pisaj of the radical of the mu- 

 riatic acid, one of the most important questions, without 

 doubt, that still remain to be resolved in chemistry. M. Pac- 

 chiani asserts, that he transformed water into oxygenated 

 muriatic acid by taking from it a part of its oxygen by means 

 of the Galvanic pile. The muriatic acid then will be hy- 

 drogen at its minmium of oxidation; the oxygenatetl mu- 

 riatic acid, hydrogen in the middle state; and water, hydro- 

 gen at its maximum of oxidation. 



Of all the objects of chemistry animal matters are the 

 most enibarrassing to it, on account of the great complica- 

 tion of their elements, and because the simplest agent that 

 can be applied to them produces in them a thousand move- 

 ments and transformations, the play of which escapes us, 

 and of which we judere only by the results. This is what 

 takes place, for example, when these matters are treated 

 with nitric acid, — a method first employed by Scheele and 

 Bergman, and from which M. BerthoHet obtained so inte- 

 resting results. The most apparent phenomenon, then, is 

 the development of a great quantity of azote. Those next 

 observed are an alteration of the acid ; the production of a 

 great deal of ammonia, of carbonic, oxalic, atul malic acid ; 

 and the transformati9n of a part of these matters into tallow, 

 and of another into a yellow bitter substance. But these 

 effects vary, according to the strength of the acid, the dura- 

 tion of its action, and the nature of the matters subjected 

 to it. 



Messrs. Fourcrov and Vauquelin, by directing their re- 

 searches to these variations, and the circumstances which 

 attend them, have found that nitric acid applied to the 

 muscular fibre, that is to say, flesh, transforms it by a first 

 impression into a yellow matter, little sapid, little soluble, 

 and yet acid ; by a longer continued action, into another 

 matter, also yellow and acid, but very little soluble and ex- 

 ceedingly bitter; and, in the last place, into a third matter, 

 soluble but inflammable, and, what is vcrv curious, deto- 

 nating, not only in heat, like common gunpowder, but also 

 by percuisioii. 



Indigo furnishes a similar matter, and still more aimn- 

 dantly than animal matters. Messrs. Haussman and VVal- 

 iher had observed it for some time. Messrs. Fourcroy and 

 Vuuquelin suppose it to be produced by the di.saj)pcarance 

 of azote, and by the combination of ihe hydrogen and carbon 

 of the flesh WMth a superabundance of oxygen liiniislud by 

 the acid. They suppose that the yellow mailer which iina;c.^ 



the 



