1807.] 
before the Institute. In the same class 
muy be rauked, proceeds the te porter, 
the discover y ota saccharine principle 1 1 
the bile, by M. Thenard, Professor in the 
Re ollese of France. This principle, which 
vas before only suspected to exist; has 
file, clearly demonstrated by the learned 
Professor, who has shewn that it possess- 
€s the property of holding the oil of the 
bile in solution. The means of analysis 
employ ed by M. Thenard has been men- 
tioned, by the cominissioners cippower. 
ed by ‘the Institute to examine his ie 
bour: Ss, as being singularly ingenious ; and 
it YS. Fact, extremely difficult entirely 
to. free this substance from those with 
which it is intermixed. 
Some recent researches respecting the 
nature of cotiee by M. Seguin is next no- 
ticed by M. Cuvier. From the lghal of 
those ex periments, it would appear that 
this vrai is composes d of albume Ty OU. 2b: 
peculi lar prineiple, which the author de- 
nominates the beter principle, aud 
green matter, which is ‘a combination of 
albuinen and the bitter sinciple; that 
the proportions of those principles vary 
in different kinds of colfee; that torre- 
Factiva. or rousting, as it 1s termed, aug 
ments the proportion of the bitter es 
ple, -bv destroying the albumen; that 
these two last principles contain much 
azot; and that the biééer principle is an- 
tiseptic. The oil of coliee is inodorous, 
coagulated, and of a white colour, like 
hog’s lard. 
M. Seguin next extended his research- 
es to other vegetables, and discovered 
that a yreat number which he has speci- 
fied contain albumen, and also a certain 
portion of the bitter principle, more or 
less similar to that of coftee. 
This remarkable quantity of albumen 
being more particularly found in the 
juices of those vegetables which ferment 
Rnrhane the aid of yeast, and yield a vie 
nous liquor, as the juice of raisins, goose- 
Paley &c. M. Seguin eadeavonred to 
discover whether albumen nught not 
gontribute to produce this intestine mo- 
tion hitherto so little ‘understood; and 
we are informed that having separated 
the albumen from these juices, they be- 
came incapable of termentation, but on 
uniting albumen with them aruficially, 
as that of the white of an egg, tor ex- 
ainple, or of saccharine matter, termei- 
tation took place, when the ether neces- 
sary civcumstances concurred, in which 
cause a matter supilar to yeast was ull- 
foriniy deposited, which appeared to be 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
ple. In the course 
ATT 
only albumen changed, and become near- 
ly insoluble without its fermentable qua- 
lity being destroyed ; from which he con- 
cludes that albuiuen, whether anual er 
vegetable, is the veal fermentative pringl- 
of his investigation, 
M.S Seguin also discovered that albumen 
exists 1 three different degrees of imsolu- 
nility, aud possesses a greater or less apti- 
tude to become fibrous; that its action 
IS i proportion to. its ‘solubility; t that 
the resp doce propor Lioa of albumen and 
sugar present. in the diferent juices de- 
termines the vinous or acetic nature of 
the product of the fermentation; that 
the liquor thus obtained is more spi- 
rituous in proportion to the greater quan- 
tity of sugar; and, 1 short, that most 
fermentable e juices contain a Vian prii- 
ciple analogous to that of cotfee, which, 
though at does not assist in the ee 
tation, nevertheless contributes towards 
the taste and preservation of the fers 
mented liquor. 
Tunnia, formerly discovered hy M.&: 
guin, and. the character of which is ta 
form aa insoluble compound with gela- 
tin, has, we are . informed by M. Cavie: 
en lately re-exumied by Bouillon : 
Grange, professor in the Lyceum. 
lle ad it also to possess an affinity 
for the alkalies, for earths, and for me- 
tallic oxydes, and that it might be con- 
verted into gallic acid by absorbing oxy- 
gen. 
The tannins extracted from different 
vegetabies va uy somewhat im thew cou- 
position; and that which Mr. Hatcbets 
discovered in great abundance in the 
caoutchouc contained a greater prepor- 
cn of oxygen than others. 
Mr, Hatchet is of opinion that tannin 
may be artificialiy formed, by treating 
charcoal with the nitric ac ity 
The next Tiscat ery noticed by M. Cu- 
vier is that by M. Morichint, an Italian 
chemist, who having tound the flworic 
acid in the enamel of the fossile jaw- 
bones of the elephant, was led by this 
circumstance to ‘atialyse the enamel of 
the human teeth, and is of opinion that 
it contains the saine principle, Gay- 
Lussac has also foun@ it in recent, as 
weil as fossiie ivory, and in the tusks 
the wild boar. 
Messrs. Fourcroy aaa Vauquelin, on 
repeating the-e experhnents, obtamed 
this acid not enly from the tusks, but 
from the teeth whieh had nudergone a 
change by having remamed lone wader 
grounds but they failed in procuring it 
trom 
