42 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



we had not the slightest doubt that .urea, xanthic oxide, cystic 

 oxide, oxahc acid, (which last substance is well known to consti- 

 tute frequently an ingredient in unary calcuH,) — that all these bo- 

 dies are produced by the decomposition of one single substance, 

 and that substance uric acid. 



Our analytical investigations of these various bodies hav6 not 

 yet made sufficient progress to enable me to communicate them 

 here. My intention at present is, to point out the plan which we 

 followed in our attempts to decompose uric acid into its proximate 

 elements, and the singular results which we obtained. But, be- 

 fore proceeding to do so, I should like to notice a very remarka- 

 ble compound, which will, I think, serve greatly to illustrate the 

 subject we are at present occupied with. 



Winkler found, that when the distilled water of bitter almonds 

 was mixed with muriatic acid, a new acid is obtained. The dis- 

 tilled water of bitter almonds, in a pure state, contains nothing 

 but prussic acid and oil of bitter almonds, (hydret of benzoyl.) 

 When treated with muriatic acid, we obtain sal ammoniac and 

 the new acid, and nothing else. It is evident from this, and the 

 conclusion is corroborated by the ultimate analysis of the new acid, 

 that the hydro-cyanic acid of the liquid is decomposed by the action 

 of. the muriatic acid into ammonia and formic acid ] that the am- 

 monia combines with the muriatic acid, and that the formic acid, 

 in the nascent state, unites with the oil of bitter almonds, to form 

 a compound acid, in which the power of saturation of the formic 

 acid is not changed. This acid performs, in every respect, the 

 part of a simple acid ; and its existence has rendered probable the 

 supposition, that the same vicAvs respecting other acids are not 

 without foundation. Another interesting fact respecting this acid 

 is, that when heated with hyperoxides, it is decomposed in a par- 

 ticular manner, only one of its proximate constituents being oxi- 

 dized, while the other suffers no change. The products obtained 

 are carbonic acid and oil of bitter almonds. 



Now, I think it must be evident to every one, that uric acid 

 must possess a composition similar to that of the acid just men- 

 tioned ; and, therefore, that its oxidation in the same manner 

 would, in all probability, lead to interesting results. We obtain- 

 ed, in fact, results which corresponded to our expectations. Oric„ 

 acid may be considered as a compound of urea, with a peculiar 

 acid — that is, we may view it as analogous to nitrate of urea. 



