200 ANIMAL AMIDES. 



Mulder found that muriatic acid, combined with the fibrin of 

 silk, so as to form a compound of, 



Muriatic acid, . 6-962 or 4-625 

 Fibrin, . . 93-038 or 61-671 



If the two are combined atom to atom, the atomic weight will be 

 61-671, and the fibrin will consist of, 



38 atoms carbon, . 28-5 or per cent. 47-60 



31 atoms hydrogen, 3.875 ... 6-47 



6 atoms azote, . =10-500 ... 17*54 



17 atoms oxygen, . = 17-000 ... 28-39 



59-875 100 



Supposing fibrin of silk to be pure, and Mulder's analysis ac- 

 curate, it obviously differs in its composition from the fibrin 

 of blood. But the subject is too obscure to warrant any infe- 

 rence s. 



SECTION VI. OF RICOTTIN. 



This is a name given (ricotta) by the Italians to a substance 

 which exists in milk, but is not separated from the whey by ren- 

 net. In Switzerland it goes by the name of zieger, and in the 

 Vosges by that of bracotte. It has been examined by Schubler, 

 and is considered by him as intermediate between casein and al- 

 bumen. * 



It may be obtained in the following manner : Coagulate milk 

 by rennet and separate the whey. Raise the temperature of this 

 whey (after it has been filtered) to 167, and mix it with acetic 

 acid. v A new coagulation takes place, and the ricottin is preci- 

 pitated. In Switzerland it is manufactured into a poor cheese, 

 which is said to be used in that country as food for cattle. 



The characters of this substance, as given by Schubler, re- 

 semble so closely those of casein, that we can scarcely hesitate i 

 adopting the opinion of L. Gmelin, that ricottin is nothing else 

 than uncoagulated casein united to acetic acid. 



Ricottin, in its fresh state, contains 84-4 per cent, of water. It 

 is a white, slimy, mucilaginous substance, very similar to albu- 

 men, not thready, and it has a specific gravity of 1 -055. Its taste 

 is that of albumen mixed with tallow. When dried it becomes 



* Schubler, as quoted by L. Gmelin, Handbuch der Theoretischen Chemie, 



ii. 1078. 



4 



