Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
Mar.,  1878.  J 
Formic  Acid. 
the  hydrate,  in  the  formation  of  the  potassium  and  sodium  compounds, 
is  because  the  acid  can  be  neutralized  with  a  carbonate,  which  it  is 
impossible  to  do  with  the  hydrate,  as  the  product  should  be  acid  to 
test-paper,  and  if  the  hydrate  is  added  until  neutral  there  will  be  an 
excess  of  it  uncombined.  Besides,  this  does  not  admit  of  purification 
by  treating  with  alcohol  which  leaves  any  excess  of  carbonate  undis- 
solved, but  takes  up  the  hydrate. 
FORMIC  ACID. 
By  E.  Gaillard,  Ph.G. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  February  17.) 
Having  occasion  to  prepare  some  formic  acid  for  medicinal  purpose, 
I  was  led  to  read  up  the  literature  on  the  subject,  finding  that  carbon 
was  its  first  element,  one  that  helps  to  make  up  the  great  bulk  of  the 
vegetable  and  animal  creation,  and  in  connection  with  hydrogen, 
oxygen  and  nitrogen  constitutes  the  organogens,  that  is  organ  pro- 
ducers.    By  a  little  dexterous  manipulation  a  long  series  of  compounds 
are  formed,  adding  atom  to  atom  until  the  numbers  that  represent  their 
chemical  constitution  are  high  among  the  tens,  and  even  into  hundreds. 
The  law  of  their  relation  is  as  clear  as  that  of  an  arithmetical  progres- 
sion.   There  exists  a  series  of  organic  acids  of  which  formic  is  the 
first,  and  to  the  members  of  which  an  atom  of  carbon  and  two  atoms 
of  hydrogen  are  added  to  form  the  next  succeeding  in  the  list. 
Formic  acid,         .        .     CH00„  Butyric  acid,        .        .  C4H802 
L2W2 
Acetic  acid,  .  .  C2H402 
Propionic  acid,     .        .  CsH602 
Valerianic  acid,  .  C5H10O2 
Capronic  acid,     .        .  C6H1202 
and  so  on  till  we  get  up  to  melissic  acid,  C30H60O2,  which  bears  a 
resemblance  to  cerotic  acid,  C27H5402,  the  soluble  portion  of  beeswax. 
These  and  similar  are  only  examples  of  the  slight  of  hand  at  which 
carbon  is  an  expert  among  the  elements,  as  is  likewise  evidenced  in  the 
following  derivatives  of  starch  : 
Starch,  .  .  .  C12H20O10 
Grape  sugar,         .  C12H24012 
Alcohol,  .  .  .  C2HeO 
Acetic  acid,  .  .  C2H402 
A  little  water  or  the  hydrogen  and  oxygen  thereof  is  added  to  the 
starch,  and  we  have  sugar.  Dissolve  the  sugar,  ferment  it,  and  alco- 
hol and  carbonic  acid  are  the  result.     Dilute  the  alcohol  and  ferment 
