SUBERIC ACID. 1 1 



Lactate of zinc crystallizes in fine needles. Its taste is acid 

 and styptic. It is more soluble in hot than in cold water. It is 

 scarcely soluble in alcohol, and is precipitated in white flocks by 

 the alkaline sulphurets. 



Lactate of lime forms small white crystals, which feel gritty 

 between the teeth. It has a bitterish taste. When heated it 

 melts and assumes the aspect of a resin. It is more soluble in 

 hot than in cold water. When heated with sulphuric acid there 

 is a slight effervescence, and the mixture becomes black, and 

 gives out the smell of apples. 



Lactate of barytes does not crystallize, but assumes the aspect 

 of gum. It is very soluble in water and alcohol. 



When lactic acid is treated with peroxide of lead, or deutoxide 

 of barytes, it is converted in a great measure into oxalic acid. 

 When chlorites or chlorous acid are used, the decomposition is 

 rapid. Oxalates are formed, which continue only for a very 

 short time, the effervescence showing the evolution of carbonic 

 acid. 



Lactic acid, even when dilute, rapidly dissolves most phosphates 

 of lime ; oxalate of lime also is to a certain extent soluble in the 

 same acid. 



SECTION V. OF SUBERIC ACID. 



Chevreul states that when oleic, stearic, or margaric acid is 

 boiled with 100 times its weight of concentrated nitric acid, till 

 the whole oily acids disappear, we obtain on evaporation a mix- 

 ture of an insoluble oily acid, and another acid soluble in twenty 

 times its weight of water. * M. Laurent repeated the experi- 

 ments of Chevreul, and obtained the same acid substance. He 

 found it a mixture of several different acids ; but the one which 

 existed in greatest abundance was suberic acid ) M. Bromeis 

 confirmed this curious discovery of Laurent, and analysed the 

 suberic acid with great care. J 



If we evaporate the nitric acid solution to one-half it concretes 

 in twenty-four hours to a mass nearly solid. This mass is put 

 into a glass funnel, and washed with cold water to free it from 

 the mother ley. After being three times crystallized from warm 

 water, exposed to pressure and dried, suberic acid is obtained in 

 a state of purity. 



* Sur les corps gras, p. 28. f Ann. de China, et de Phys. Ixvi. 157. 



| Annalen der Pharm. xxxv. 89. 



