HISTORY OF GEINE. 91 



It becomes, therefore, a question, whether the term geine 

 is not the only proper term to be retained, applicable to the 

 various forms found in soil ; and its distinction into soluble 

 and insoluble, well founded for all practical purposes. This 

 question may be answered by a reference to the analysis of 

 geine. It includes not only that, so called in 1832 by Ber- 

 zelius, the equivalent of which, by the table, is ulmic and 

 humic acid, but also all the forms. On this subject, during 

 the imperfect state of organic analysis ten years ago, there 

 may have been room for doubt ; especially when the most 

 consummate organic analyst of the age, Liebig, asserts that 

 it is exceedingly difficult to estimate quantities less than one 

 half per cent. Even now, when the results of the most ex- 

 pert analysts have thrown a shade of doubt over the deter- 

 mination of the true proportion of carbon in carbonic acid, a 

 proportion for so many years considered one of the best 

 established facts of chemistry, it may be doubted whether 

 later analyses of geine approach nearer practical truth than 

 those executed almost in the infancy of the science. The 

 constitution of geine, as determined by Boullay and Mala- 

 guti, admitted by all to be worthy of confidence, is thus 

 stated : — 



Carbon, Hydrogen. Oxygen. 



P. Boullay, (Thomson) 56.7 4.8 38.50 



Jr. (Lassaigne) 57.64 4.70 37.56 



Malaguti, (Dumas) 57.48 4.76 37.06 



Average, 57.30 4.75 37.70 



But it may be said that these refer only to the artificial 

 productions. These may be quite other compounds from 

 that found in the soil. Let the analysis of geine of soil, as 

 determined by the latest researches, answer such objection. 



During the last two or three years. Muldei in whose ana- 



