310 Dr. Schuuck on some Products 



clays, the substance, on its being opened, was found to be 

 almost unchanged, a small part only having been converted 

 into a resinous matter easily soluble in alcohol. A similar 

 negative result was obtained when an amalgam of sodium was 

 employed as a source of hydrogen. After these failures I felt 

 but little encouragement to make further experiments in this 

 direction; and this part of the subject must therefore be left 

 in its present state of obscurity. 



6. The occasional disappearance of the indigo-blue in the 

 wo ad- vat ^ in consequence of mismanagement, now admits 

 of an explanation, which will probably be allowed to be the 

 correct one. By the fermentation of the sugar contained in 

 the madder and other materials employed, alcohol is gene- 

 rated, which in its turn may yield some acetic acid; and 

 alcohol, acetic acid, and a base (lime) being present, nothing 

 further is required for the development of the process above 

 described. By neutralizing a portion of the lime when neces- 

 sary, the danger of losing colouring-matter is to some extent 

 obviated ; but I would venture to suggest, as a means of ren- 

 dering it still less, the avoiding all materials containing much 

 sugar or starch — substances which might, by their decompo- 

 sition, lead to the formation of alcohol. 



When, in the process above described, formiate of soda is 

 employed instead of acetate of soda, exactly the same pheno- 

 mena are observed. The indigo-blue gradually disappears, 

 and a dark brown alcoholic liquid is obtained, which is found 

 to contain bodies closely resembling those formed by means 

 of acetate of soda. By operating on a tolerably large quantity 

 of material, I was enabled to ascertain the presence in this 

 liquid of anthranilic acid, and of three products correspond- 

 ing to, and having the same physical properties as, the bodies 

 B, D, and E. They were separated from one another by the 

 same means as the latter, — the first being a brownish-yellow 

 resin, easily soluble in alcohol and ether, as well as in alka- 

 lies ; the second a brown powder, soluble in alkalies, but solu- 

 ble with difficulty in alcohol and ether; whilst the third 

 was a reddish-brown powder, distinguished by its solubility 

 in a boiling solution of acetate of soda — a property which 

 afforded a ready means of separating it from the others. No 

 compounds insoluble in alkalies, and corresponding to the 

 bodies A and C, were formed with formiate of soda. The ana- 

 lysis of the compound resembling B yielded the following 

 results : — 



0-2960 grm. gave 0*7565 grm. carbonic acid and 0*1920 

 grm. water. 



