42 MEMOIR ON 



during the circulation through the lungs, arteries, ex- 

 treme vessels and veins, to convey oxygen to every 

 part of the body. 



By soaking Indian corn, after it has been cut open, 

 in a watery solution of sulphate of copper, (blue vitriol,) 

 the result will give a decisive proof of the presence of 

 phosphoric acid. The u chits," or parts containing the 

 germs, will be changed to a bluish-green, beautifully 

 defining the limits of the phosphates of lime and of 

 magnesia contained in the grain. 



By soaking a kernel of corn split open longitudinally 

 and thrown into a solution of sulphydrate of ammonia, 

 the chit is soon changed to a dark olive-colour, which 

 arises from the change of the salts of iron into a sul- 

 phuret of that metal. 



By cutting open, in a similar manner, a kernel of 

 maize, or any other kind of grain, and dropping upon 

 it a small quantity of the tincture of iodine, a portion 

 of its bulk will be immediately changed to an intense 

 blue, indicating the presence of starch, with here and 

 there a deep port-wine-coloured speck, which will define 

 the parts composed of dextrine. If the oil is extracted 

 from the transparent part of the corn by alcohol, or 

 ether, the tincture of iodine will indicate the presence 

 of starch in that part of the grain associated with the 

 gluten. 



By these means, we may readily cause any grain to 

 define the extent and precise limits of each of its 

 ingredients ; and by the eye, we can form a pretty cor- 

 rect estimate of their relative proportions in different 



The varieties of Indian corn are very numerous, ex- 

 hibiting every grade of size, colour, and conformation 

 between the shrubby reed that grows on the shores of 

 Lake Superior, to the gigantic stalks of the Ohio'val-- 

 ley, the tiny ears with flat, close-clinging grains of 

 Canada, the brilliant, rounded, little pearl, or the 

 bright-red grains and white cob of the eight-rowed 



* See Jackson's Report on the Geology and Mineralogy of New Hampshire, 

 pp. 255 et aeq. 



