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ASPARAGINE  IN  THE  ROOT  OF  THE  ROSE  ACACIA. 
4*336  grms.  of  the  same  salt  furnished  0*656  grm.  of  water 
—15.03  per  cent*  (formula  15*78  per  cent.) 
Protoxalate  of  iron  decomposed  by  itself  in  a  tube,  furnished 
on  the  average  of  four  experiments  56  vols,  of  carbonic  oxide, 
and  68  vols,  of  carbonic  acid,  instead  of  equal  volumes. —  Chem. 
Q-az.  Sept.  18&5,from  Liebig's  Annalen,  July  1855. 
ON  THE  OCCURRENCE  OF  ASPARAGINE  IN  THE  ROOT  OF  THE 
ROSE  ACACIA  (ROBINIA  PSEUD  ACACIA). 
By  Prof.  H.  Hlasiwetz. 
When  extracted  with  water,  the  root  of  Rohini  Pseudacacia 
furnishes  a  decoction,  in  which,  when  it  is  evaporated  to  the 
consistence  of  a  thin  syrup,  a  considerable  quantity  of  hard, 
rather  large  octahedral  crystals  are  formed  after  a  few  days' 
standing.  These,  after  being  twice  recrystallized,  are  perfectly 
colorless  and  strongly  refractive ;  they  do  not  effloresce,  grate 
between  the  teeth,  and  have  a  slightly  sweet  mawkish  taste. 
Their  solution  has  a  neutral  reaction,  and  evolves  ammonia  when 
heated  with  solution  of  potash ;  it  is  not  precipitated  by  acetate 
of  silver  or  lead,  but  basic  acetate  of  lead  and  protonitrate  of 
mercury  furnish  white  precipitates.  When  heated,  the  crystals 
fuse,  the  mass  afterwards  becomes  brown,  swells  up,  and  evolves 
an  unpleasant  ammoniacal  odour.  Finally,  they  burn  without 
residue.  Sulphuric  and  nitric  acids  dissolve  them  without 
change. 
This  body  is  asparagine,  as  proved  by  the  following  analysis : 
C      .       .    36-32       8  =  48  36*36 
H       .      .     6-21       8       8  6-06 
N  2      28  21*21 
0  6       48  36-37 
Asparagine  appears  to  occur  very  commonly  in  the  family  of 
the  Leguminosge,  as  it  has  also  been  found  in  peas,  beans, 
vetches,  liquorice,  &c. 
The  finest  preparation  is  obtained  from  this  root  by  mere  de- 
coction, evaporation,  and  recrystallizing  twice.  About  30  lbs. 
of  fresh  root  furnished  more  than  2  J  oz.  of  pure  substance.  This 
root  is  therefore  to  be  particularly  recommended  for  the  prepa- 
ration of  asparagine. —  Chem.  Qaz.  Aug.  15,  1855,  from  Sitz- 
ungsber,  der  Akad.  der  Wiss.  zu  Wien,  Math.  Naturw.  Classe. 
