Bi-Malate of Lime in the Berries of the Sumach. 297 



spongy mass remaining was strongly alkaline. It was dissolved in 

 dilute muriatic acid. The solution was divided into two portions, of 

 which one was tested for potash, the other for lime. None of the 

 former base could be detected, but an abundant precipitate of oxalate 

 of lime indicated the presence of the latter. 



2. A portion of the salt was dissolved in distilled water in a test 

 tube. Upon adding a few drops of liquids oxalic or citric a.cids, a 

 white precipitate was formed. Liquid tartaric acid being added to a 

 similar solution produced, after some time, brilliant octahedral crystals 

 of tartrate of lime, which adhered to the sides of the tube. It ap- 

 peared therefore that the base of the salt was lime. 



3. To a solution of the salt in distilled water, a few drops of the 

 solution of acitate of lead were added. A beautifully white floccu- 

 lent precipitate was abundantly produced. This precipitate was in- 

 soluble in ammonia, and therefore could not be a citrate of lead. — 

 Indeed neither citric, tartaric, or oxalic acid could be suspected in 

 the salt, inasmuch as neither of these acids are known to form acid 

 salts with lime. 



4. The precipitate procured by the acetate of lead was well wash- 

 ed with distilled water, and then heated in the same to the boiling 

 point. It almost entirely disappeared. But upon allowing the liquid 

 to cool, the salt of lead separated and fomied upon the surface and 

 around the edges of the liquid, groups of the most brilliant satin like 

 crystals. The crystals in these groups were extremely slender, di- 

 verging from the common center of the group with the most perfect 

 regularity. Solubility in hot, and insolubility in cold water are char- 

 acteristic of the malate of lead. But the novel and very peculiar 

 crystallization just described made me hesitate at first in pronouncing 

 this precipitate a malate. Berzelius describes it as collecting " Sous 

 la forme d'ecailles blanches ayant I'eclat de I'argent." Afterwards 

 however meeting with Wohler's process for obtaining malic acid, I 

 found that the pure malate of lead crystallizes as I have described. 

 It is not necessary for the production of this peculiar form of crys- 

 tallization, that the precipitate should be washed and re-dissolved, 

 for I have since found that the usual flocculent precipitate if heated 

 in the supernatant liquid, and then left for some time undisturbed, 

 is transformed into an assemblage of radiating groups such as have 

 been described. 



5. Ten grains of the salt obtained from the berries were exposed 

 to a white heat, in a platinum capsule, until the water and acid were 



Vol. XXVIL— No. 2. 38 



