150 BASIC BODIES. 



Its atomic weight= 937.5. Horsford,* who has recently made 

 the most complete investigation regarding this substance,, is led, 

 from a consideration of its compounds with acids, as well as with 

 certain metallic oxides, to assign to free glycine the formula 

 C 4 H 4 NO 3 .HO, regarding it as containing 1 atom of combined 

 water ; thus throwing doubts on the homology of leucine, sarcosine, 

 and glycine, maintained by Laurent and Cahours. The analogy in 

 the constitution of these three bodies is undeniable ; independently 

 of the fact that the empirical formula C n H n+1 NO 4 is also appli- 

 cable to hydrated glycine, its relation towards hydrated potash as 

 well as towards nitric oxide, indicates its extreme similarity to the 

 two other bodies. Strecker's discovery that glycic acid is produced 

 when glycine is decomposed by nitric oxide would lead to the 

 inference that glycine is the amide of glycic acid, just as leucine might 

 be regarded as the amide of leucic acid. Berzeliusf assumes for 

 glycine double the above atomic weight, and hence he writes its 

 empirical formula=C 8 H 8 N 2 O 6 + 2HO ; theoretically he regards it 

 as an alkaloid, namely, as ammonia conjugated with a nitrogenous 

 body, so that its rational formula is H 3 N.C 8 H 5 NO 6 -f2HO. 



Here, indeed, the homology with sarcosine entirely fails. Berze- 

 lius bases his view regarding the establishment of the doubled 

 atomic weight on the strong acidity of the salts containing 1 atom 

 of this acid, C 4 H 4 NO 3 ; but in such weak basic bodies, little stress 

 should be laid on this acidity, while, moreover, the compound of 

 glycine with salts, and especially with chlorides, entirely supports 

 the atomic weight assigned by Horsford. It is chiefly from the 

 behaviour of glycine when acted on by the galvanic current that 

 Horsford is inclined to regard it as a salt-like compound, namely, 

 as a compound isomeric with the hypothetical anhydrous fumarate of 

 ammonia, since C 4 H 4 NO 3 =H 3 N + C 4 HO 3 . Probably, however, 

 Laurent and Strecker's hypothesis still holds good, since, in organic 

 nature, we much more frequently meet with amide-compounds than 

 with compounds of anhydrous acids with ammonia. 



Combinations. All the combinations of glycine with acids are 

 crystallisable, of tolerably easy solubility, and have a strong acid 

 reaction. 



Neutral hydrochlorate of -glycine, C 4 H 4 NO 3 .HO.HC1, crystal- 

 lises in long flat prisms which are transparent and glistening, soon 

 deliquesce when exposed to the atmosphere, and dissolve readily 

 in water and in spirit of wine, but slightly in absolute alcohol. 



* Ann. d. Ch. u. Pharm. Bd. 60, S. 1-57. 

 t Jahresber. Bd. 27, S. 655. 



