102 Scientific Intelligence. 
After these developments by M. Pasteur, M. Kestner, with whom 
expense was nothing in this question, imported some crude tartar from 
Tuscany, and immediately obtained from it racemic acid; at the same 
time, M. Seybel at Vienna obtained considerable proportions of racemic 
To extract the acid from tartars which contain it, it is only requisite 
to operate on the mother liquor which has been a long time in use 
Metacetic acid.—At a subsequent session of the Academy, attention 
was directed to a congener of racemic acid—the citric acid, hich 
oblique rhomboidal prisms, 
to the formula C&H®O4 
o 
tacetic, which he had just obtaine by means of cyanhyd 
(Comptes Rendus, 1847), thought he had established their identity. 
It is probably a case of isomer- 
ism like that of propylammine and triethylammine. J 
Whatever the fact, this acid was produced by M. Noellner at the 
acid through the lactate of lime, of succinic acid through malate 0 
lime. ime does not permit me now to operate upon the congeners 
causing a large quantity of crude citrate of lime to ferment, M. Per- 
sonne obtained acetic, butyric, and carbonic acids, and hydrogen. He 
considers the following as the i ; 
4(C12H301 '=-4HO)=3(C4H*0*)4 2(C8H804)4.20C02-L8H, 
and he thinks that the constant presence of hydrogen indicates the 
formation of lactic acid, and that this is the source of the butyric acid 
which is produced during this fermentation. i : 
* Sur un acide particulier, resultant du tartre brut sous influence da la, chaux et 
des ferments, par M. J. Nickles, Revue Scient., Dec, 1846. ‘s a 
ft 
