Parsnip and White Belyian Carrot. 1 



accurate, I was led, therefore, to examine these roots for ammo- 

 niacal salts, and have succeeded in detecting in them small 

 quantities. The plan adopted for finding out the presence of 

 ammoniacal salts in parsnips and carrots and of ascertaining 

 their relative quantities was as follows : 



About 1500 grains of the finely grated roots were digested 

 with distilled water, and washed upon a piece of fine linen as 

 long as anything was extracted by water. The clear liquids 

 were immediately precipitated with basic acetate of lead, a 

 re-agent which separates completely all protein compounds. The 

 bulky precipitate thus produced was carefully washed on a filter 

 with distilled water, and the liquid, passed through the filter, 

 after having been slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid, was eva- 

 porated in a porcelain dish to a small bulk. Thus concentrated, 

 it was introduced into a retort, connected with a convenient ap- 

 paratus containing some hydrochloric acid, and destined to 

 absorb the ammonia which is given off during the subsequent 

 distillation of the contents of the retort with soda-lime. It is 

 necessary to choose the receiving apparatus sufficiently large to 

 contain all the liquid in the retort, as the contents of the retort 

 have to be distilled to dryness in order to obtain the last traces 

 of ammonia, which would remain dissolved in the water if no 

 care were taken to evaporate the liquid completely to dryness. 

 The ammonia, which is given off under these circumstances, is 

 fixed by the hydrochloric acid in the receiving apparatus. Its 

 quantity was easily ascertained by evaporating the liquid in the 

 receiver to dryness on a water-bath, with the addition of bichlo- 

 ride of platinum. The precipitate of bichloride of platinum 

 and ammonium thus produced was washed on a weighed filter 

 with a mixture of alcohol and ether, in order to remove the 

 excess of bichloride of platinum, which had been previously 

 added. When quite clean, the filter with the insoluble double 

 salt of chloride of platinum and ammonium was dried at 21*2 

 F., weighed, and the amount of ammonia which it contained 

 calculated. 



Having thus given a description of the mode in which the 

 organic analyses were executed, we shall now proceed to state 

 the results obtained in the analyses of both roots. 



I. Composition of Parsnips. 



Water. 1. Dried in the water-bath, the fresh roots lost 81 78 

 per cent, of water. 



2. In another determination 82*32 per cent, were obtained ; or, 

 on an average, parsnips were found to contain 8*2*05 per cent, 

 of water. 



