178 On the Germination and Fermentation 



haling oxymuriatic acid, and afterwards has all the appear- 

 ances of common gluten. 



It dissolves very freely in concentrated acetic acid, which 

 it renders turbid, and from which it may be separated by 

 means of the alkalis, with all its properties, even after a 

 lapse of many years. This fact is already well known to 

 chemists. 



Plunged into water at the temperature of 12° (53*6 Fahr.), 

 this gluten melts, bubbles up to the surface, becomes sour 

 and fetid, and exhales carbonic acid gas. The water filtered, 

 and not clarified, reddens turnsole paper very strongly ; is 

 soon precipitated and clarified by the acids ; the oxy muriatic 

 acid produces an abundant precipitate, if used in great 

 quantity: it is precipitated also by infusion of gall-nuts 

 and by the fixed caustic alkalis, which disengage ammonia 

 from it. The latter, precipitated by the alkalis, is dissolved 

 in plenty of water. 



The water of fermentation of the gluten (one pound with 

 three ounces of white sugar) converted sugar into good 

 vinegar, without either fermentation, effervescence, or con- 

 tact of the atmosphere. 



The gluten already fermented, put a second time into 

 water at the temperature of 12 degrees (53-6 Fahr.) ferments 

 again, disengages carbonic acid, is weaklv acidified, and its 

 acidity is not increased at the end of three or four days. The 

 water decanted, and by this time fetid, reddens tincture of 

 turnsole but slightly, and precipitates it ; it becomes turbid 

 by ammonia, the acids, infusion of galls, and the oxalate of 

 ammonia; it deposits gluten by an excess of potash, exhaling 

 an ammoniacal vapour. 



After this second fermentation, which had formed am- 

 monia and saturated the acid, the gluten becomes of a violet 

 purple colour, forms at the surface of the water a pellicle of 

 the same colour, becomes very fetid, passes afterwards to a 

 blackish gray, and soon exhales the same odour with putre- 

 fied mucous membranes. At this period the water which 

 rloats above is blackish and muddy; it browns the nitrate of 

 silver; blackens that of mercury at the minimum of oxida- 

 tion. Ir.' losing its own colour; becomes milky and inodorous 



by 



