82 HISTORY OF GEINE. 



quantities, less than one half per cent. Even now, 

 when later results of the most expert analysts, have 

 thrown a shade of doubt over the determination 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 doubt- 

 ed whether later analyses of geine, approach nearer 

 the truth than those executed, almost in the infancy 

 of the science. The constitution of geine as deter- 

 mined by Boullay and Malaguti, 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 



l o~> 



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

 artificial production. They may be quite other com- 

 pounds, from that found in soil. Let us then place 

 the analysis of geine of soil, as determined by 

 Sprengel, side by side, with the average, above sta- 

 ted. This result of Sprengel, is given in Berzeli- 

 us's "system," of 1832. 



