The Oils ex 

 amined. 



Q.yS ANALYSIS OV THE ROE OF FISHES. 



Piu-,siaieof The water (a) contained s<ime carbonate, a great cieal of 



ammonia. • , , /■ • ,. 



pru3siat€, and some traces ot muriate or ammonia. 



Phosphorus. The crust (/) was ptire phosphorus, for it smoked on the 

 contact of air, diti'iised the smell of phospljorns, was lumi- 

 - nous in the dark, and inflamed rapidly on increasing itstem* 

 perature. 



The oils (ft, c), heated with nitric acid at 30°, emitted 

 white fumes having a smell of phosphorus mingled with 

 that of oil. The capsule in which this operation had been 

 performed, was luminous in the dark. In order -to collect 

 the phosphorus, the liquor was poured into a glass retort, 

 and the distillation urged, till the greater part of the oil was 

 destroyed by the action of the nitric acid. Some water 

 passed over into the receiver, containing carbonic, prusslc, 

 and muriatic acid. A light oil likewise came over. These 

 products contained no phosp'.orus. The oil that remained 

 in the retbrt was partly converted into a red bitter mat- 

 ter, partly into a kind of wax, which congealed on the sur- 

 face of he liquor in cooling. 



T'.e n" ric solution, evaporated to the consistence of a si- 

 rup, alfordcd crystals of nitrate of ainni^onia. The mother 

 Avater contained phosphoric acid, proceeding from the phos- 

 phorus acidified by the nitric acid. 

 The coal. Ihe coal left after the distillation of the Toe Aveighed 



7*5 grill.. [116 g-vs.]. It was not acid ; did not become so 

 by calcination ; and did not inflan>e during this operation. 

 Phr^•:nhorus an This experiment shows, 1, that the coal of distilled roe is 

 eleraentaiy j^qj. pbosphuretted, like that of roe calcined by a gentle fire 

 in the open air: 2, that phosphorus is sin esse}) fial element of 

 roe; a fact that has never been mentioned by any one, nor 

 has its existence' as an element in any animal substance ever 

 been sus;pected. 



3. When the heat is not cavried so far as in the preceding 

 he t distillation, no phosphorus is obtained, it remaining comlnned 



phurctteircar ^it'i the c al in the state of a pbosphuretted carburet. 

 buret, and 'phjs ^.Q^f § the hardest afforded by any organized substance, 

 scraic Kbg ass ^^^ .^ scratches glass. When heated gently in a platina cru- 

 cible, a yellowish green tlarnc is produced; and when the 

 lamperature is raised to a dull red, this flame becomes in- 

 - • teruiittent 



{.art of roe. 



With le^s 



