1818.] M. Proust's Analysis of Barley. 201 



me a very interesting meteorite, not yet described in any work ; 

 it. is from the coast of Omoa, in the province of Honduras, at 

 10 leagues' distance from the sea, and was found on a hill which 

 abounds with this iron. The history of its fall and dates are 

 unknown. 



To avoid every possible doubt about the mass of platina, I 

 should, perhaps, have mentioned, that the Spanish Secretary 

 of State, his Excellency Dn. Jose Garcia de Leon and Pizarro, 

 had taken all the measures to ascertain the fact of its being 

 genuine, native platina. 



I have the honour to be, dear Sir, 



Your most obedient and humble servant, 



Henry Heuland. 



Article VII. 

 Analysis of Barley. By M. Proust. 



Barley has been made the subject of an elaborate chemical 

 analysis by MM. Fourcroy and Vauquelin, and by M. Einhof, 

 who each of them published his remarks upon it about the same 

 period. The latter of these chemists found ripe barley to con- 

 tain starch, sugar, mucilage, gluten, albumen, a minute quantity 

 of phosphate of lime, and a considerable proportion of a volatile 

 matter, the nature of which appears to be not veiy accurately 

 ascertained, besides the woody fibres which enter into the com- 

 position of the husk. To these constituents Fourcroy and Vau- 

 quelin have added a peculiar species of oil, which was procured by 

 macerating the barley meal in alcohol ; the fluid, by this process, 

 becomes muddy, acquires a yellow colour, and deposits the oil 

 by evaporation. They also detected in barley minute portions 

 of some earthy neutral salts, and of iron, which were not men- 

 tioned by Einhof. This substance has been also examined by 

 M. Proust, and his account of it differs considerably from that 

 of his predecessors : it would appear from his statement that his 

 experiments were principally performed some years since, even 

 anterior to those referred to above, although they were only pub- 

 lished during the last summer.* 



Alcohol extracts from barley a yellow resin, which, when dry, 

 has a pitchy consistence, and is not soluble in water. It exists 

 likewise both in wheat and in maize, and is found in them all in 

 the proportion of about -^-^ of their weight ; it is not destroyed 

 by the process of germination. When barley meal is washed 

 with cold water, we procure a yellow saccharine extract which 

 ifl readily decomposed by alcohol; it seems to consist of gum, 



» Ann. de Ciiim. et Piijs. v. 337. (Aug. 1817.) 

 O 



