Products of the Oxidation of Wool, 359 



in potash ; also we have determined the oxygen consumed 

 in the oxidation. The details of the experiments we will 

 publish shortly ; and likewise we reserve our commentary on 

 the bearing of these results on our views as to the structure of 

 horn and albumen. 



Here we give the numerical results : — 

 100 grms. of wool (containing 43*4 grms. of carbon), when 

 submitted to oxidation by means of four times its weight of 

 permanganate of potash, acting at 100° C. in alkaline solution, 

 gave : — 



Carbon in the form of C0 2 5*9 grms. 



» » C 2 H 2 4 12*2 „ 



C 4 H 5 N0 2 .. ; . ........ 7-2 „ 



Carbon in other forms (mostly as forming 

 acids with potash-salts very soluble in 

 strong alcohol) 18*1 „ 



43*4 grms. 

 Oxygen consumed, 60*7 grms. 

 Cyano-propionic Acid, (C 4 H 5 N0 2 ) 2 , 3H 2 0. — This acid is 

 prepared by decomposing the baryta-salt with the theoretical 

 quantity of dilute sulphuric acid necessary to saturate the 

 barium, separating the sulphate of baryta by filtration, and 

 evaporating the solution of the acid to dryness in the water- 

 bath. The solid residue, which was carefully dried in the 

 water-bath, has the following formula — 

 (C 4 H 5 N0 2 ) 2 , 3H 2 0. 

 We took 16-0 grms. of the moderately but not excessively 

 dry baryta-salt (the purity of which had been ascertained by 

 a complete analysis of the sample), added 75*0 cub. centims. 

 of normal sulphuric acid (3*675 grms. of H 2 OS0 3 ), and ob- 

 tained 8*773 grms. of washed and ignited Ba 2 OS0 3 , and 9*7 

 grms. of the organic acid dried in a platinum dish at 100° C. 

 The equation expressing the reaction is 

 (C 4 H 4 BaN0 2 ) 2 , 3H 2 + H 2 OS0 3 



= Ba 2 OS0 3 + (C 4 H 5 N0 2 ) 2 , 3H 2 ; 

 and the following is a comparison between the quantities 

 required by the equation and those given by experiment : — 



Theory. Experiment, 



grms. grms. 



(C 4 H 4 BaN0 2 ) 2 ,3H 2 14*51 16*0 



H 2 OS0 3 ... 3*675 3*675 



Ba 2 OS0 3 ... 8*737 8*773 



(C 4 H 5 N0 2 ) 2 ,3'H 2 9*45 9*7 



The correspondence between the sulphuric acid, sulphate of 



