GLYCINE. 149 



from the separation of ammonia, while at the positive pole there 

 is an acid reaction. Glycine dissolves unchanged in the mineral 

 acids, and in alkaline solutions, if not too concentrated. Sulphate 

 of copper and potash yield with glycine a deep blue solution from 

 which no suboxide of copper separates on the application of heat. 

 Further, on boiling glycine with a concentrated solution of potash, 

 or with hydrated baryta or oxide of lead, the fluid developes 

 ammonia and assumes a brilliant 6ery red tint, which, how- 

 ever, disappears on the prolonged application of heat. In 

 this process, in addition to the ammonia, there are formed, hydro- 

 gen, oxalic acid, and hydrocyanic acid (Horsford). If on the 

 other hand it be fused with hydrated potash, it undergoes a decom- 

 position analogous to that of leucine and sarcosine, into formic acid, 

 ammonia, carbonic acid, and hydrogen gas (C 4 H 5 NO 4 + 3KO.HO= 

 2KO.CO 2 + 4H + KO.C 2 HO 3 . Gerhardt and Laurent.*) If, finally, 

 an aqueous solution of glycine be treated with nitrous acid or nitric 

 oxide, glycic acid== C 4 H 3 O 5 .HO (Strecker,t) is formed, nitrogen 

 gas being developed. Moreover, a non-nitrogenous acid, which in 

 all probability is identical with glycic acid, is produced by chlorine 

 gas and other strongly oxidising influences, as, for instance, hyper- 

 manganate, nitrate, and chlorate of potash. (Horsford.) 



Horsford has analysed the baryta-salt, and deduced for the 

 acid the formula C 3 H 3 O 6 , but the analysis yielded less hydrogen 

 and more carbon than are represented by this formula ; if Hors- 

 ford had accidentally omitted to calculate for the organic substance 

 the carbonic acid retained in the baryta, the formula of the baryta- 

 salt would be = BaO.C 4 H 3 O 5 , and consequently would correspond 

 with that of Strecker's acid. The baryta-salt was somewhat inso- 

 luble, but crystallised well. 



Composition. According to the above formula which is deduced 

 from the coincident analyses of Laurent,{ Mulder, and Horsford, 

 free glycine, dried at 100, consists of: 



Carbon 4 atoms 32-00 



Hydrogen 5 .... 6'67 



Nitrogen 1 .... 18'67 



Oxygen 3 .... 42'66 



lOO'OO 



* Corapt. rend. T. 27, pp. 256-258. 

 t Ann. d. Ch. u. Phann. Bd. 68, S. 54. 

 i Compt. rend. T. 20, p. 789. 

 $ Journ. f. pr. Ch. Bd. 28, S. 294-297, 



