ANALYSIS OP VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES. 71 



Thus, if we were to suppose, for a moment, that the hl> Vetetable 

 drogen and oxigen were in the state of water in ve<^etabie ^'^^^^j 

 substances, which we are far from consideriuKa* true, vege- 

 table acids would be formed of carbon, water, and oxigen, 

 iu different proportions : ' 



Resins, fixed and volatile oils, alcohol, and ether, would resins, Ccc, 

 be formed of carbon, water, and hidrogen, also in different 

 proportions: and 



Lastly, sugar, gum, starch, sugar of rnilk, woody fibre, ^ugar, &c, 

 and the crystallizable pnnciple of manna, would be formed 

 of carbon and water alone, and would differ only by the 

 greater'or less quantity they contained. 



This we may show by quoting various analyses of acid 

 and resinous substances, and of substances that are neither 

 acid nor resinous. 



A hundred parts of oxalic acid contain. Constituent 



principles of 



Carbon • • ae'SOG'x r Carbon 26-50© oxalic acid, 



Oxigen. . 70-689 f \ Oxigen and hidrogen i« the 

 Hidrogen 2-745 > ""' <( proportions that form water 22-872 



*» ,____. I J Oxigen m excess • • 50'562 



100- J C 100- 



A hundred parts of acetic acid contain and acetic acid. 



Carbon.. 50-224 ^ /"Carbon 50-224 



Oxigen* • 44 147f \ Oxigen and hidrogen in the 

 Hidrogen 5-629> ^''i proportions thatform water 46-91 1 

 ° ^L J Oxigen m excess 2'865 



100 ) C 



100 



Oxalic, acid therefore contains more than half its weight these the two 

 of oxigen in excess with respect to its hidrogen ; while in ^^"^e™es. 

 acetic acid this excess is not quite three hundredths. ^ 



These two acids occupy the extremities of ihe series of 

 vegetable acids : one is the roost oxigenized of them, the 

 other the least. This is the reason why^ so much nitric acid Explanation 

 is required to convert sugar, gum, &c., into oxalic acid ; °^ certain 

 why, on the contrary, many vegetable and animal substances 

 ?o easily produce acetic acid in a number of instances ; and 

 why* in particular, w^ne is changed into vinegar withoxit 



the 



