456 M. Bertagnini on Salicyluric Acid. 



Bertagnini has made a series of experiments on the deportment 

 of some organic acids in the animal organism. An abstract 

 of the results appears in the February Number of Liebig's 

 Annalen. Crystallized camphoric acid, which is anhydrous, 

 could be taken in doses of half a gramme without any ill effect. 

 Upwards of 12 grms. were taken in the course of two days. 

 The urine had a strongly acid reaction, from which ordinary 

 camphoric acid was obtained. As this differs from crystallized 

 camphoric acid only in containing 2 equivalents of water more, 

 the only change effected had been the assimilation of the water. 



Salicylic acid was taken in hourly doses of 25 centigrammes, 

 till in the course of two days 6 grms. had been taken. On the 

 second day a humming in the ears and sensation of numbness 

 were perceived. The urine had, as usual, an acid reaction. Some 

 unchanged salicylic acid was found in it, as well as a quantity of 

 a new acid which contains nitrogen. Its formula is C'^ H^ NO^, 

 which is equal to salicylic acid and glycocoU, minus 2 equivs. of 

 water : — 



C '4 W 0^ + C* W NO*- 2H0 = CIS h9 NO^. 

 Salicylic acid. GlycocoU. New acid. 



Salicylic acid appears hence to undergo the same change in pass- 

 ing through the organism that benzoic and nitrobenzoic acids 

 do. These are converted into hippuric and nitrohippuric acids ; 

 the change being effected, as above, by the assimilation of gly- 

 cocoU, with loss of 2 equivs. of water. The new acid has been 

 named salicyluric acid. By boiling for several hours with fuming 

 hydrochloric acid, salicyluric acid is decomposed into salicylic 

 acid and glycocoU. It is a strong acid, and expels the carbonic 

 acid from carbonates forming salts with the bases, which crystal- 

 lize readily. It is probably bibasic. 



Anisic acid, taken to the extent of 6 grms., passed unchanged 

 through the system and was obtained in the urine. It produced 

 a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. 



Piria found that when sahcine is treated with nitric acid of a mo- 

 derate degree of strength, an acid which he named anilotinic acid 

 was formed. According to the degree of concentration of the acid, 

 various compounds, as helicine, nitrosahcylic, and picric acids, are 

 obtained. From experiments which he made. Major considered 

 that the anilotinic acid was identical with nitrosalicyhc acid. This 

 view is disputed by Piria, who finds that the formation of the acid 

 depends less on the strength of the nitric acid used than on the 

 presence of hyponitric acid. To prepare it, 1 part sahcine with 8 

 parts nitric acid are placed in a well-stoppered vessel and put in a 

 cool place. The nitric oxide generated cannot then escape, and 

 causes the formation of hyponitric acid, which gives to the liquid 



