234 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



an abundant crystalline deposit was formed, possessing the aspect 

 and properties of asparagin. 



To purify these crystals they were washed with a little cold water, 

 then dissolved in boiling water, and on cooling, crystals were formed. 



To render these crystals perfectly white, they were again dissolved 

 and treated with animal charcoal, and were thus rendered extremely 

 fine. Forty pounds of vetches yielded about five and one-third avoir- 

 dupois ounces of asparagin, and consequently this plant is the most 

 advantageous that can be employed. 



By analysis there were obtained — 



Experiment. Calculation. 



Carbon 31-80 32-00 



Hydrogen G-85 6-67 



Nitrogen 18-84 18-67 



Oxygen 42-51 42-66 



100-00 100-00 



To determine whether growth without the presence of light was 

 requisite to produce asparagin in vetches, some green plants were 

 treated in the same way ; and M. Piria found, contrary to his ex- 

 pectations, that they yielded as much asparagin as those which grew 

 in the dark. 



The seeds were found not to contain any asparagin, and the plants 

 were also examined at the commencement of flowering and during 

 fructification ; in the former case an inappreciable trace only of as- 

 paragin was obtained, and in the latter none whatever. 



M. Piria observes, that all the authors who have treated of aspa- 

 ragin have I'egarded it either as an alkaloid, or as a neutral sub- 

 stance, and no one as an acid. Notwithstanding the previous opi- 

 nions on the subject, the author considers asparagin as an acid. He 

 found that the expressed juice had an acid reaction, which became 

 stroiiger as it was evaporated, and that it acted upon the copper 

 vessel in which it was evaporated ; and he found also that when as- 

 paragin was heated with water and oxide of copper, that an azure- 

 coloured solution was formed, which yielded a crystalline deposit of 

 the same colour. This compound is more readily and abundantly 

 formed by adding a hot concentrated solution of asparagin to one of 

 acetate of copper, also strong and hot. If no immediate reaction 

 tiikes place after mixture, the liquid must be heated ; and by this 

 there will be immediately formed a precipitate of a fine ultramarine- 

 blue colour, and this continues to deposit during the cooling. 



This compound is nearly insoluble in cold water, but is slightly 

 soluble in hot, and very soluble in acids and in ammonia ; when long 

 kept at 248° F. in a current of dry air, it loses no water ; when more 

 strongly heated, it is decomposed with the disengagement of torrents 

 of ammoniacal gas. Its analysis indicated as its formula, C^ H' N'^ O*, 

 CuO. 



It follows from this, that asparagin dried at 212° F., C^ H« N^ 0« 

 and considered as anhydrous, contains one equivalent of water capable 



