and some of its Products of Decomposition. 375 
The ammonia is taken from the hydrated glycocoll, which may 
be considered as fumarate of ammonia : 
,H,NO,, HO=H, NO, C, HO,. 
9th. It decomposes when subjected to the action of the gal- 
vanic battery ; an acid (fumaric?) and oxygen appearing at one 
pole, and an alkali (ammonia) and hydrogen appearing at the 
other. 
10th. It may be derived from hippuric acid by treatment with 
a mineral acid, in which case a neutral salt of glycocoll is formed 
and benzoic acid set free: or by treatment with potash, in which 
case benzoate of potash is formed and glycocoll is set free. 
Hippuric acid, - - C,,H,NO, 
Benzoic acid, - voate - i, gdh ge Oy 
Glycocoll, sh de ae * 4 PNY; 
We may add also that the formule of Boussingault and Mul- 
der have not the advantage of so great simplicity. 
Preparation of Glycocoll. 
The recent brilliant discovery of Dessaigne,* that by boiling 
bipparic acid with sulphuric, hydrochloric or any of the stronger 
acids, this body separates into benzoic acid and a salt of glycocoll, 
tendered the preparation of the latter, in purity, a task of no dif- 
ficulty. It was, of course, necessary first of all to obtain a quan- 
tity of hippuric acid. ia 
This acid was prepared according to the method proposed by 
- Bensch,t by evaporating in a water bath, the morning urine 
of stall-fed horses, to from one-eighth to one-tenth of its vol- 
ume; adding hydrochloric acid till all effervescence ceased ;_ set- 
tng aside, in a cool place, for the perfect separation of the hip- 
puric acid; filtering through linen, and pressing; dissolving in 
freshly prepared solution of hydrate of lime, with addition of 
boiling water ; filtering, as before, and pressing ; heating the fil- 
trate to boiling, acidifying with solution of alum, cooling to 40°C. 
[104° F.), adding solution of bicarbonate of soda till no farther 
Precipitation takes place ; filtering and pressing ; and precipitation 
of the filtrate with hydrochloric acid. After washing, filteri 
and pressing the precipitate of hippuric acid, it was again di lve 
in boiling water, and blood coal added in the proportion of half 
an ounce to a pound of moist acid, again filtered at boiling heat 
through paper, and set aside to crystallize. By this method pris- 
Matic crystals are obtained of the most perfect whiteness, an inch 
In length, and from one to two lines in diameter. 
Se EE TS RS ae IY SE ie 
* Compt. Rend., xxi, p. 1224-1227. Liebig’s Annalen, Bd., lviii, 8. 322. 
* Liebig’s Annalen, Bd., lviii, S. 267. 
