194 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
amount of volatile oil by distillation; hence the quantity of 
water has a very important influence. 
Coagulated emulsine has no effect on amygdaline. 
If boiling water be thrown on pulverized bitter almonds, 
they yield no trace of volatile oil by distillation, hence the 
emulsine, as it occurs naturally, is in the fit state to act as the 
decomposing agent of amygdaline. 
Solution of emulsine is precipitated in thick white flocks 
by alcohol. This precipitate dissolves easily and completely 
in cold water, even after it has been dried, and its solution 
acts as emulsine before precipitation. 
The products mentioned are not the only ones that result 
from the decomposition of amygdaline, as is seen by the fol- 
lowing experiment of Leibig and Wohler. A solution of 
precipitated emulsine was put in a warm situation, and then 
amygdaline was added gradually in small portions until no 
odor of hydrocyanic acid was perceptible. After having thus 
added to the emulsine ten times its weight of amygda- 
line, in the course of eight days all the decomposition ceased. 
Then by evaporating the liquor b)^ a gentle heat, all its odor 
completely disappeared; it had a syrupy consistence and a sac- 
charine taste. The quantity of dried residue represented 
more than four times the amount of emulsine employed. 
When this syrup was allowed to repose for some time, it de- 
posited small hard crystals which were found to be identical 
with cane sugar. If a little ferment be added to the residue 
dissolved in water, it enters into rapid fermentation, and 
yields alcohol by distillation, which fact places beyond all 
doubt the formation and separation of sugar. 
The small quantity of emulsine which is proportionably 
necessary to produce the decomposition of amygdaline, bears 
a certain resemblance to that of ferment on sugar, which 
Berzelius has attributed to a peculiar force — the catalytic 
force. 
According to its composition, amygdaline contains the 
elements of 
