ANIMAL ACIDS CONTAINING AZOTE. 



teration. The liquid, after a certain time, acquires the property 

 of precipitating barytes water violet, whereas at first it gives with 

 it a white precipitate. The acid liquor gives crystals of dimor- 

 phous alloxantin. 



The reaction of uramilic and nitric acid is remarkable. It 

 dissolves in that acid at first without the evolution of any gas ; 

 but if we boil it with concentrated nitric acid, nitrous acid is dis- 

 engaged. The liquid becomes yellow when concentrated, and 

 gives a notable quantity of white crystalline plates, which are 

 soluble in hot water and crystallize on cooling. With this they 

 form a yellow solution and acetic acid throws down a white pow- 

 der. This new substance has not been sufficiently examined. 

 It resembles xanihic oxide. 



When uramilic acid is heated with oxide of copper it furnishes 

 azotic and carbonic acid in volumes, which are to each other as 1 

 to 3-2. The acid being subjected to an analysis in Liebig's labo- 

 ratory, the constituents obtained were the following : 

 Carbon, 31-64 or 16 atoms =12 or per cent. 32-43 

 Hydrogen, 3-63 or 10 atoms = 1-25 ... 3-37 



Azote, . 23-07 or 5 atoms = 8-75 ... 23-65 

 Oxygen, 41-66 or 15 atoms = 15-00 ... 40-55 



100-00 37 100-00 



These atomic numbers were pitched upon by Wohler and Liebig 

 from a supposed relation between nramile and uramilic acid. 

 Uramile is C 8 H 5 Az 3 O 6 . Now from 



2 atoms uramile, ... C 16 H 10 Az 6 O 12 



Subtract 1 atom ammonia, . . H 3 Az 



We have . . & C 16 H 7 Az 5 O 12 



Add 3 atoms water, . H 3 O 3 



And we get , . . C 16 H 10 Az 5 O 15 



which is an atom of uramilic acid. 



Liebig attempted to determine the true atomic weight of ura- 

 milic acid by analysing uramilate of silver. But in drying the 

 salt it was accidentally exposed to too high a temperature, and 

 became black. This made the proportion of silver in the salt 

 greater than it ought to have been. It was composed of 



