Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 227 



"S 



is the same as that of gallic acid, given by Berzelius, viz. 



Carbon 57-08 



Water 42-92 



100-00; 

 but the saturating power of the ulmic acid is much weaker, the 

 analysis of its salts showing it to be less in the proportion of 1 to 5. 

 The small saturating power of this acid, which appears to be an ex- 

 cellent manure, shows how it may be plentifully conveyed to plants, 

 by means of a very small quantity of alkaline base. 



4. Notwithstanding the analogy which exists between the com- 

 position of these acids, the gallic cannot be converted into the ulmic 

 by means of sulphuric acid. The product of their mutual action 

 appears, on the contrary, analogous to that which results from the 

 action of oxygenated bodies upon gallic acid and extracts. 



5. The carbonaceous product which results from the spontaneous 

 decomposition of hydrocyanic acid, does not appear to be a carburet 

 of azote, as M. Gay-Lussac had supposed, but an hydrogenated 

 compound, capable of combining with salifiable bases analogous to 

 hydrocyanic acid itself. 



6. The same compound appears to be reproduced, when animal 

 matters are submitted to reactions analogous to those which convert 

 vegetable matters into ulmic acid ; such is the action of potash upon 

 gelatin. We may, therefore, according to this analogy, which occurs 

 also in the physical and chemical properties of these two bodies, 

 designate it by the name of azulmic acid, which expresses the dif- 

 ference of their chemical nature. 



7. Azulmic acid results net only from the spontaneous decompo- 

 sition of hydrocyanic acid, but from that of hydrocyanate of ammoniaj 

 cyanogen dissolved in water, from the reaction of this gas or bases ; 

 and in a word, it occurs with all the compounds of cyanogen. 



8. Pure hydrocyanic acid, by its spontaneous decomposition, 

 appears to be converted into hydrocyanate of ammonia, and azulmic 

 acid; — a simple result, which according to M. Boullay is easily ex- 

 pressed by the following formula : 



6 (HC 2 AZ) =HC 2 AZ + Hs AZ . . . + HsOAZ*. 

 The result of calculation agrees perfectly with the analysis of azul- 

 mic acid, which is stated to be one volume of hydrogen, five volumes 

 of carbon and two of azote, in dividing by 2 the formula which 

 represents it, or by weight of 



AZ 2 Azote 47'64 



C* Carbon 5067 



H Hydrogen 1-69 



100-00 



9. The action of weak nitric acid upon cast-iron, that is, upon 

 the very divided carbon which it contains, gives rise to an azotized 

 matter which possesses the principal properties of azulmic acid. 



10. Azulmic acid appears to combine with concentrated nitric 

 acid, which dissolves it; and there is reason to believe that artificial 



2 G 2 tannins 



