CASE OF SARCINA VENTRICULI. 365 



found to be very small. Again, several ounces of the liquid 

 from the stomach were boiled for some time with peroxide of 

 manganese, and thereafter filtered. The filtered liquid was 

 then tested for chloride of manganese, with caustic potash ; a 

 very slight precipitate of protoxide fell. As the quantity of 

 hydrochloric acid discovered in this portion of the liquid was 

 too small to explain its marked acidity, I made careful search 

 for another acid, and soon detected the presence of one which 

 was not volatile, but was destructible at high temperatures. 

 Different processes were adopted for the isolation and purifi- 

 cation of this acid, which was separated with much difficulty 

 from the accompanying salts and animal matter. I state the 

 results very briefly. 



" The concentrated liquid from the retort, which now pos- 

 sessed a dark-brown colour and was very viscid, was evapo- 

 rated on the water-bath till it ceased to lose weight. It 

 formed a gummy mass,' which remained moist after many 

 hours' exposure to a heat of 212, and retained unimpaired 

 the power of reddening litmus strongly. The mass was boiled 

 with successive portions of alcohol of sp. gr. O880, so long as 

 the latter acquired an acid reaction ; the greater part of the 

 animal matter remained undissolved, but the alcohol was 

 coloured dark-brown. On evaporating this solution on the 

 water-bath, a viscid matter was left, strongly acid to litmus, 

 and possessing a saline taste occasioned by the chloride of 

 sodium dissolved along with it. The alcoholic extract was 

 boiled with successive portions of sulphuric ether, recently 

 rectified from carbonate of potass, and ascertained to be quite 

 neutral. By this treatment the extract lost its acidity, which 

 was transferred to the ether ; but it required a large quantity 

 of the latter to remove it entirely. The etherial solution was 

 of a pale-yellow colour, and had dissolved very little of the 

 salts or animal matter. When the ether was vaporised on 

 the water-bath, there remained a thick yellow liquid, redden- 



