G L Y 



aad afterwards decompofe it. Muriatic acid produces a 

 fimilar cfFe6\, but in a Icfs degree. It is likewife readily 

 decompofed by the carbonated alkalies and by all the car- 

 bonated earths, except carbonat of magneiia. With the ful- 

 phat, iiitrat, and muriat of alumine, it fuffcrs decompofi- 

 tion, a mutual exchange of acids taking place between the 

 two earths. 



SulphtU of Glycine. — Glycine, both in its pure and car- 

 bonated ftate, diflblves very readily in dilute fulphuric acid. 

 The i'olutiou by fpontaneous evaporation affords oftahedral 

 cryftals, compofcd of two oblique four-fided pyramids 

 joined bafe to bafe, with their edges and folid angles trun- 

 cated. It alfo, but with difficulty, yields when evaporated 

 on a fand bath fmall needle-form cryllals. The folution, 

 when evaporated nearly to drynefs, alTumes a fyrupy con- 

 fiftcnce. Sulphat of glycine, has a remarkable fweet 

 and ailringent talle. It is very foluble in water. Heated, 

 it intumefces, fuffers the watery fufion, and becomes pul- 

 verulent from the diffipation of its water. It is completely 

 decompofed by a ftrong red heat, the acid being expelled 

 and the earth left in its pure ftate. It has been already ob- 

 ferved that fulphat of glycine is converted, when heated 

 •with charcoalj into a fulphuret : but this fulphuret, according 

 to Fourcroy, does not become a pyrophorus, like alum 

 thus treated, though fulphat of potafli be prefent. A folu- 

 tion of nut-galls, added to this fait difTolved in water, pro- 

 duces immediately a white precipitate. Previous to the 

 knowledge of this fail, fuch a property was cenceived to 

 be peculiar to metallic falts, 



Sulphat of glycine, (lowly evaporated with a fmall 

 quantity of fulphat of potafh, forms minute cryftalhne 

 grains, which difiblve with eafe in feven or eight times 

 their weight of cold water. Glycine, added to a folution 

 of alum, precipitates tlie alumine, and moft probably pro- 

 duces a compound, fimilar to the preceding one. Sulphat of 

 glycine is decompofed by all the alkalies and earths, ex- 

 cepting alumine, yttria, zircon, and filex. 



Nitrat of glycine is procured by faturating nitric acid 

 with glycine. The folution of this fait does not afford 

 cryftals by evaporation, but produces a duftile and adhefive 

 mafs, which, when further dried, falls into powder. It is 

 very foluble in water and deliquefcent in the air. It attrafts 

 moifture fo ftrongly, that it might, if eaiily procured, be ad- 

 vantageoully employed for abforbing the hygrometrical 

 water of gafes. Its tafte is faccharine and aftringent. 

 Tindlure of galls dropt into a folution of this fait pro- 

 duces a yellowifh brown precipitate. Nitrat of glycine 

 fufes at a low heat, but if the heat is increafed, the acid is 

 expelled. It is decompofed in the moift way by fulphuric 

 acid, and by the fame alkalies and earths as the fulphat. 

 The proportions of its component parts are not known ; but 

 Vauquelin has obferved that a given quantity of nitric acid 

 requires rather more glycine than alumine for its complete 

 faturation ; yet the former earth, thougli in combination with 

 nitric acid more foluble th^n the latter, decompofes, with 

 the afTillance of heat, nitrat of alumine, precipitating the 

 alumine, and forming nitrat of glycine. 



jMuriat of glycine is procured by diffolving glycine in 

 muriatic acid. It is in fome refpeCfs fimilar to the nitrat, 

 but differs in its folution, afi'ording by tsrefiil Kiamigemfnt 

 fmall crylla'.s, the form of which, on account of their iize, 

 have not yet been determined ; and in not being fubject to 

 deliquef';e on expofure to the atinofpherc. Its tafte is 

 fimilar. A folution of this ialt in dilute alc.ohol is faid to 

 be an agreeable fweet liquid. When dilUFed per fe, the 

 acid flies off, and leaves the earth in a ftate of purity. It is 

 {ilfo decompofed when heated with pholphoric acid. The 



G L Y 



fame effeft is produced by fulphuric and nitric acids, and 

 by the alkalies, and all the earths that decompofe the nitrat. 

 Acetat of glycine, which is prepared by diffolving the 

 earth in acetic acid, has not yet boen procured in a cryflalline 

 form. Its folution, when evaporated, acquires a glutinous 

 confiftence, and the fait becomes brittle as it flowly 

 dries. 



Succinat of Glycine. — Any of the fuccinats added to 

 the nitrat, muriat, or fulphat of glycine, precipitate the 

 fait in queftion. Its properties have not yet been enquired 

 into. 



We are indebted for the impcrfeft knowledge wc have of the 

 combinations of glycine, with the feveral acids above-men- 

 tioned, principally to the celebrated difcoverer of this earth. 

 Glycine, in no form as yet, has been ufefully employed; yet 

 Vauquelin conceives that the earth itfelf and fome of its 

 falts, when they can be procured with facility, may admit 

 of fuch an application in chemiftry, in medicine, and the 

 arts. Its marked attraftion for animal and vegetable co- 

 louring fubftances induced him to think that there was 

 a probability of its being ferviceable as a mordant ; and 

 the peculiar tafte of fome of its falts gave rife to the hope 

 that thefe combinations might produce falutary cffedls on 

 the animal fyfteni. If his expcftations fhould be realized, we 

 muft agree with Vauquelin, tliat thefe falts will be fome of 

 the mofl agreeable medicines that exift. Ann. de Chem. 

 vol. xxvi. ijj. xlii. 277. Fourcroy Connaifiance Chem. 

 vols, ii.iii. Aikin's Chem. Dift. vol. ii. Philofoph. Tranf. 

 part. ii. 1808. p. ^52. 



GLYCONIAN, Glycomus. in t!ie Creek and Latin 

 poetry. 



A Glyconian verfe is that confifting of two feet and a 

 fyllablc ; at leaft this is Scaliger's opinion : who adds, that 

 the Glyconian verfe was alio called the Euripidean verfe. 

 See VtnsiE. 



Others hold, that the Glyconian verfe confifted of three 

 feet, a fpondee and two dadtyls ; or rather a fpondee, cho- 

 riambus, and an iambus or a pyrrhic : which opinion is the 

 moft followed. 



" Sic te diva potens Cypri," is a Glyconian verfe. 



GLYCYRRHIZA, in Botany, Liquorice, yXuxiffi^a 

 of Diofcorides, who dcfcribes the plant very faithfully and 

 accurately ; but it is remarkable that he fays the flower is 

 like a hyacinth, which can allude to the colour only, whether 

 his v^y.L.^oi be the Delphinium or Hyacinthus of modern bo- 

 tanifts. The word is compofcd of y'kiiKV!, fiveet, and f'l^a, 

 a root ; and the name in apothecaries' Latin, liquirit'm, as 

 well as the Englifh one, liquorice, the French re^!i/fe, the 

 Itahan regalizza, &c. with all their corruptions, originate 

 from it. — Linn. Gen. 380. Schreb. 502. Willd. Sp. 

 PI. v. 3. 1 143 Mart. Mill. Did. V. 2. Ait. Hort. Ke\r. 

 V. 3. 56. Juff. 359. Tourn. t. 210. Lamarck. lUuftr. 

 t. 625. Gaertn. t. 148 — Clafs and order, Diiulelphia Decan- 

 Jria. Nat. Ord. Papilionacca, Linn. I.eguyninofa; Juff. 



Gen. Ch. Ciil. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, tubular, 

 two-lipped, permanent ; upper lip in three deep fegments, 

 of which the lateral one? are linear, the central one broadeft 

 and cloven ; lower perfectly finiple, linear. Cor. papiliona- 

 ceous. Standard ovato-lauceolate, ftraight, longell. livings 

 oblong, very like the keel, but rather larger. Keel of two 

 petal,";, acute, its claw the length of the calyx. Siam. Fila- 

 ments in two fets, (one limple, the other in nine divifions,) 

 ftraight; anthers fimple, roandifli. Pi/l. Germeii fhortcr 

 tliiui the calyx ; ftyle awl-fliayed, as long as the ft.amens ; 

 ftigma obtufe, afcending. Peric, Legume ovate or oblong, 

 conqireffed, acute, of one cell.. Seeds very few, kidney- 

 fliaped. Eft". 



