387 



ties differ sensibly from those of animal milk. It can be 

 mixed with any proportion of water, and, in that state, does 

 not coagulate by ebullition, nor is it curdled by acids, like 

 the milk of the cow. Instead of being precipitated by am- 

 moniac, it is rendered more liquid, and this character indi- 

 cates-t'he absence of caoutchouc j for we have observed that 

 in the juices containing this principle, ammoniac precipitated 

 the smallest quantity, which when dried, possessed the pro- 

 perties of elastic gum. Alcohol slightly coagulates the milk 

 of the cow- tree : it is something less than a coagulum, for 

 the alcohol only renders it more difficult to filtrate the juice. 

 The new milk lightly reddens the heliotrope ; it boils at the 

 temperature of 100°, and at the pressure 0 m 7*29. Under- 

 going the action of heat, it presents at first the same pheno- 

 mena as the milk of the cow ; a pellicula forms on its sur- 

 face, which prevents the disengagement of the aqueous va- 

 pours. In raising successively the pellicula, and making it 

 evaporate at a mild heat, an extract is obtained resembling a 

 kind of paste $ but if the action of heat is longer continued, 

 oily drops are formed which augment in proportion as the 

 water is disengaged, and end by composing an oily liquid, in 

 which swims a fibrous substance that dries and hardens as 

 the temperature of the oil augments, and spreads a smell 

 like that of fried meat. Vegetable milk is separated by the 

 action of heat into two parts j one fusible, of a sacculent 

 nature, the other fibrous, of an animal nature. If the evap- 

 oration of the vegetable milk is not carried too far, and the 

 fusible matter is not boiled, it may be obtained without al- 

 teration. It has the following properties j it is of a yellow- 

 ish white, translucid, solid, and resists the impression of the 

 finger ; it begins to melt at 40° centigr. j and, when the 

 fusion is complete, the thermometer indicates 60°. It can- 

 not be dissolved in water, but is dissolved easily in essential 

 oils 5 with which it also combines, and forms a composition 

 analogous to cerat j alcohol at 40°, dissolves it totally by 



2 c 2 



