400 



S. SAW A. 



tungstic acid in presence of nitric acid yielded only a moderate 

 precipitate. On boiling a portion of the juice with nitric acid, 

 some flocculent precipitate which became yellow, was obtained. 

 Mercuric nitrate and basic lead acetate yielded moderate preci- 

 pitates. On boiling with Fehling's solution, the presence of 

 sugar was indicated. 



50 cc. of the juice yielded 0.1355 gr. of ash equal to 0.2J%. 

 This ash showed an alkaline reaction, and consisted chiefly of 

 carbonate and chloride ot sodium. 



10 cc. served for an estimation of the total dry matter 

 which was found to be 0.927%. 



The sugar determination gave 0.032% calculated as 

 dextrose. 



400 cc. of the filtered juice was mixed with basic acetate 

 of lead until no further precipitate was obtained. This was 

 filtered off and washed and decomposed with hydrogen sulphide. 

 The filtrate of the lead sulphide yielded, on evaporation to a 

 small volume, a crystalline mass ; and after evaporation to 

 dryness, the residue weighed 0.72 gr., or 0.18% of the original 

 juice. As a portion of this mass developed, on heating slowly 

 on a platinum foil, the suffocating fumes characteristic of suc- 

 cinic acid, the whole mass was now dissolved in a little water 

 and shaken out several times with ether which left, on evapo- 

 ration, crystals which agreed with the forms of succinic acid. 

 Also the concentrated solution of the neutral sodium salt yielded 

 with ferric chloride a brownish precipitate. Another portion 

 served for a determination of the melting point which was found 

 to be 179. 5°C agreeing with that of succinic acid (i8o°C). 

 However in the aqueous solution that had been shaken out with 

 ether, there was still much organic matter present. On slow 

 evaporation at the common temperature, prisms were obtained 

 which, compared with crystals of succinic acid, were found to be 

 identic. Hence most of the substance precipitated by basic 

 acetate of lead consisted of succinic acid. 



The filtrate from the lead precipitate above mentioned was 

 precipitated with mercuric nitrate and the precipitate, after 

 being washed, was decomposed with hydrogen sulphid. The 

 filtrate from the mercuric sulphide was evaporated to a thin 

 syrup with the addition of some ammonia to prevent any 

 decomposition of asparagin supposed to be present, but further 



