470 APPENDIX. 



separation may be readily effected by boiling water, in which 

 inosite is more soluble than sulphate of potash. Inosite may also 

 be obtained, according to Scherer, without previous distillation, if 

 we do not use .quite sufficient sulphuric acid to throw down the 

 whole of the baryta. On now shaking the solution with ether, till 

 the liberated acids are separated, the inosite appears in beautiful 

 crystals on the gradual addition of alcohol. 



Tests. Scherer* has given a very characteristic reaction for 

 inosite, by which it may be distinguished from any other kind of 

 sugar or carbo-hydrate. If we evaporate a solution of inosite, or 

 a mixture containing that substance, almost to dryness on platinum 

 foil, treat the residue with a solution of ammonia and a little 

 chloride of calcium, and then carefully evaporate to dryness, a vivid 

 rose-red tint is evolved, which allows us to recognise even l-50th 

 of a grain of inosite. 



Occurrence. This body has hitherto been only found in the 

 flesh of the heart ; Socoloff f sought in vain for it in the fluid 

 from other muscular structures. 



PARAMYLON. C 12 H 10 O 10 . 



Properties. This variety of starch presents itself as a glistening 

 white granular matter which, when freshly precipitated is translu- 

 cent, and has a gelatinous and very swollen appearance : it is 

 insoluble in water and in dilute acids ; it is not converted into sugar 

 either by dilute sulphuric acid or by diastase ; and it is only by 

 prolonged boiling with fuming hydrochloric acid that it yields a 

 sweet fermentable substance. When heated to 200 it is converted 

 into a gummy substance which is soluble in water, but not in 

 alcohol : at a higher temperature it fuses and burns with an odour 

 resembling that of sugar. Paramylon is insoluble in ammonia, but 

 dissolves in caustic potash, from which it may be again thrown 

 down by acids. It is not coloured blue by iodine. 



Composition. This body was discovered and analysed by 

 GottliebJ, and was found to be isomeric with common starch : 



Carbon 12 atoms .... .... 44'44 



Hydrogen 10 .... .... 6'18 



Oxygen 10 .... .... 49'38 



100-00 

 Preparation. Paramylon was obtained by Gottlieb from the 



* Verhandl. d. pbys.-med. Gcs. zu Wiirzburg. I3d. 2, S. 112. 

 t Ann. d. Ch. u. Pharm. Bd. 81. S. 375. 

 Ibid. Vol. 75, pp. 51-61. 



