CHAPTEE XIV. 



MALIC, CITKIC, AND RACEMIC ACID. 



IT is scarcely necessary to draw attention to the 

 tartaric and raceinic acids in wine. Any one may 

 convince himself of the presence of racemic acid by 

 precipitating the wine with acetate of lead, suspending 

 the precipitate in water, conducting sulphuretted 

 hydrogen through it, filtering, and evaporating it. If 

 a little chloride of calcium and ammonia be now 

 added to the acids, but not enough of the latter to 

 saturate them racemate of lime will be precipitated, 

 and the further addition of ammonia will give rise to 

 a precipitate of tartaric acid. A special investigation 

 was necessary for the detection of citric and malic 

 acid. There was indeed but little evidence of citric 

 acid, . though we examined red Bordeaux with the 

 express purpose of discovering it. 



Bed Bordeaux was precipitated with sugar of lead, 

 the deposit suspended in water, decomposed by means 

 of sulphuretted hydrogen, and the sulphide of lead 

 washed with water. 



When milk of lime was added, all the acids remain- 

 ing in the liquid separated from the sulphide of lead 

 were saturated. Tartrate, racemate, and citrate of 



