236 Intelligence and Miscellaneoiis Articles. 



pro2)erties of succinic acid, may be separated by the action of sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen. This on analysis gave hj — 



Experiinent. Calculation. 



, " . 



Carbon 40-27 40-40 40-68 



Hydrogen 5-28 5-16 5-08 



Oxygen 54-45 54*44 54-24 



10000 100-00 100-00 



It appears, then, that impure asparagin dissolved in water and left 

 to itself for some time is totally converted into succinate of ammonia. 

 To explain this transformation, it is necessary only to compare the 

 two formulae — 



if from C^ H'* N^ O^, succinate of ammonia, 



we subtract C^ H^ N- O^, asparagin, 



there remains H*02=2HO + H^. 



When then asj^aragin is converted into succinate of ammonia, it 

 assimilates two equivalents of water and two equivalents of hydrogen, 

 produced under the reductive influence of the putrefaction which 

 occurs in the liquid. 



This metamorphosis exhibits an important peculiarity, which has 

 not been observed hitherto in other transformations of organic mat- 

 ter. The succinate of ammonia, which results from the reduction of 

 the asparagin, does not return to the state of asparagin under the 

 influence of oxidizing agents : thus it undergoes no alteration by the 

 most concentrated nitric acid or by chromic acid. 



M. Piria, to determine whether the nitrogenous bodies, which, by 

 fermentation, converted the asparagin into succinate of ammonia, 

 existed in the vetches themselves, added a quantity of the juice of 

 etiolated vetches to a moderately strong and very pure solution of 

 asparagin, and exposed the mixture to the air. In a few days the 

 same phaenomena appeared as already described as occurring with 

 the impure asparagin. On examining the liquor at the expiration of 

 about a fortnight, a considerable quantity of perfectly white crystals 

 of succinic acid had separated. — Ann. de Ch. et Phys., Fevrier 1848. 



ON CHRYSAMMIC ACID. BY M. MULDER. 

 The author states that he has examined chrysammic acid pro- 

 duced by the action of nitric acid on aloes ; his results differ both 

 from those obtained by M. Schunck and M. Robiquet. The pure 

 acid, yielding a potash salt nearly insoluble in cold water, and of a 

 greenish-gold colour, yielded (C=75-12): — 



Experiment. Atoms. Calculation. 



C 39-7 39-9 14 401 



H 1-0 1-1 4 0-9 



N 13-0 4 13-3 



46-3 12 45-7 



This result dift'ers, especially as to the nitrogen, from that of M. 

 Schunck, who found the formula C" H' N* O'^. The analysis of 

 the potash salt confirmed the composition of the hydrated acid. 

 Dried at 248'^ F., at which chrysammate of potash gives a large 



