140 M. Schonbein on Ozone and Ozonic Actions in Mushrooms. 



room is a fact pretty enough of itself, but as to scientific import- 

 ance far inferior to what I am going to tell you. 



The fact that the resinous Boletus principle, after having been 

 removed from the mushroom (by the means of alcohol), is not 

 able to colour itself spontaneously in the atmospheric air, whilst 

 it seems to have that power so long as it happens to be deposited 

 in the parenchyma of the Boletus, led me to suspect that there 

 exists in the Boletus luridus, besides the guaiacum-like sub- 

 stance, another matter, endowed with the property of exalting 

 the chemical power of common oxygen, and causing that element 



in its O condition to associate itself to the resinous principle 

 of the mushroom. The conjecture was correct ; for I found 

 that in the juice obtained by pressure from a number of 

 mushrooms belonging to the genera Boletus and Agaricus, and 

 notably from Agaricus sanguineus (upon which I principally 

 worked), an organic matter is contained which enjoys the 



remarkable power of transforming into O, and forming with 



the latter a compound from which O may easily be transferred 

 to a number of oxidable matters, both of an inorganic and 

 organic nature ; and I must not omit to state, that the pecuhar 



agaricus matter, after having been deprived of its O, may be 

 charged with it again by passing through its solution a current 



of air. The easiest way of ascertaining the presence of in the 

 said agaricus juice, is to mix that liquid with an alcoholic solu- 

 tion of guaiacum, or the resinous matter of the Boletus luridus. 



If the juice happens to be deprived of O, the resiniferous solu- 

 tions will not be coloured blue ; but if it contains 0, the solu- 

 tions will assume a blue colour, just as if they were treated with 

 peroxide of lead, permanganic acid, hyponitric acid, &c. From 

 the facts stated, it appears that the organic matter in question is a 

 true carrier of active oxygen, and therefore, when charged with it, 

 an oxidizing agent. Indeed, that matter may in many respects 

 be compared to NC^, which, as is well known, enjoys to an ex- 

 traordinary extent the power of instantaneously transforming 



into O, and forming a compound (NO^ + 20) with that O, from 

 which the latter may easily be transferred to a multitude of oxi- 

 dable matters. Now in a physiological point of view, the exist- 

 ence of such an organic substance is certainly an important fact, 

 and seems to confirm an old opinion of mine, according to which 

 the oxidizing efi"ects of the atmospheric oxygen (of itself inactive) 

 produced upon organic bodies, such as blood, &c., are brought 

 about by means of substances having the power both of exciting 

 and carrying oxygen. 



Before dropping this subject, I must not omit to mention a 



