206 INULIN GLYCOGEN MOSS-STARCH. 



and acetic acid. Heated with alkalies, it is recon- 

 verted into starch and potassium acetate. 



14. Inulin, C 6 H 10 5 , occurs chiefly in the roots of 

 Inula Selenium, Georgina purpurea, Helianthus tube- 

 rosus, Leontodon taraxacum, etc., and is prepared from 

 them by a similar process to that described in connec- 

 tion with starch. 



Very fine, white powder, tasteless and inodorous. 

 But slightly soluble in cold water ; very easily soluble 

 in hot water, forming a mucous liquid (not a jelly), 

 from which it separates again as a powder. It turns 

 yellow with iodine, not blue. When boiled for a long 

 time it loses the property of separating in a powdery form, 

 being finally completely converted into non-crystalliz- 

 ing fruit-sugar. 



15. G-lycogen (animal starch), C 6 H 10 5 , is a constant 

 ingredient of the liver; occurs in the tissues which 

 surround the foetus in the uterus, and also in the -foetus 

 itself, but only during the period of the foetal life ; is 

 also contained in the yolk of eggs and in mollusks. 

 For the purpose of preparing it, liver, as fresh as pos- 

 sible, is chopped up, immersed in boiling water, boiled 

 an hour, filtered, and alcohol added to the watery solu- 

 tion. The precipitate is boiled with concentrated 

 caustic potassa, as long as ammonia is evolved, for the 

 purpose of destroying albuminous substances, and the 

 diluted solution again precipitated with alcohol. By 

 repeated dissolving in acetic acid and precipitating 

 with alcohol, it is finally obtained pure. A white, 

 amorphous powder ; forms with water an opalescent 

 solution ; is insoluble in alcohol ; and turns a brownish- 

 red color with iodine. When heated with dilute acids, 

 or when in contact with diastase, blood, saliva, etc., it 

 is rapidly converted into grape-sugar. It suffers the 

 same change in the liver very quickly after the death 

 of the animal. 



16. Moss-starch, C 6 H 10 5 , occurs very generally in 

 lichens, particularly in Iceland moss. Moss is broken 



