Decomposition of Amygdalin hy Emulsin, 415 



sited, which separate in larger quantity on further cooling. 

 To this substance they gave the name of amygdalin. Liebig 

 and Wohler have determined this body to be an amide of 

 amygdalic acid represented in the following formula: 



N,aoH54 0„2+ H4O2. 



Subsequently the investigation was continued by Wohler and 

 Liebig, who observed that when a solution of amygdalin is 

 brought into contact with milk of sweet almonds, a most 

 remarkable and peculiar action takes place: prussic acid and 

 oil of bitter almonds are formed, as in the instance already 

 mentioned, when milk of buter almonds is distilled without 

 the artificial addition of amygdalin. Besides prussic acid and 

 oil ot bitter almonds there is also formed sugar, which may 

 be decomposed by fermentation. The solution after the ter- 

 mination of the fermenting process affords a strong acid re- 

 action, which is not produced by acetic or any other volatile 

 acid. When alcohol is added and the solution is concen- 

 trated, thick white flocks are precipitated, which obviously 

 contain no emulsin, because when dissolved in water they 

 have no action upon amygdalin. From these and other pro- 

 perties the flocks would appear to be gum. The phfsno- 

 mena exhibited in the reaction described, which have been 

 termed catalytic by Berzelius, resemble in great measure 

 those which take place in fermentation, and their investigation 

 promises to throw great light upon some of the most import- 

 ant processes of the vegetable and animal oeconomy. 



With the view of assisting in the elucidation of the subject 

 we have commenced with the examination of the essential in- 

 gredients of the milk of sweet almonds which has been termed 

 emulsin. The process by which we obtained the substance was 

 as follows. Sweet almonds were triturated in a mortar, and 

 small jjortions of water were gradually added until a milky 

 fluid was obtained. This fluid was mixed with four times its 

 volume of a:ther, and frequently agitated so as to effect an 

 intimate mixture. A clear fluid gradually separated at the bot- 

 tom of the stoppered bottle in which the experiment was made, 

 and which at the end of three weeks was drawn off" by means 

 ot a siphon. The fluid was passed through a filter, and to 

 one half of the clear solution a large quantity of alcohol was 

 added, which produced a copious deposition of white flocks 

 which were emidsin. From the other half the emulsin was 

 separated by bringing the solution to the boiling point, when 

 it precipitated in flocky coagula. The emulsin precipitated 

 by alcohol was carefully washed with tjjc same fluid, and then 

 dried over sulphuric acid in liie vacuum of an air-pump to 



