Translation of Vauquelin Article
Discovery of a novel fundamental vegetable substance in Asparagus (Sativus, Linnean)
Upon examining more precisely the products of plant matter which have formerly not been done, modern chemists have distinguished a large number of species (types) unknown by ancient people. But for a long time, I believe, we have not found in the vegetables an immediate substance also as singularly interesting as that which we discuss here.
During the past year(summer), M. Robiquet, a young chemist who combines the solidity of reasoning with a great skill in the experiments submitted, at the invitation of M. Parmentier, has done chemical analysis on the juice of Asparagus whose interesting results he has submitted to the Annals of Chemistry.
Having given up (having been abandoned) in my laboratory, during a voyage that it (he) made, a certain quantity of asparagus juice concentrated by evaporization, I had observed a somewhat large number of crystals, among which two apparently new substances appeared, which had a form, a transparence, and a different smell/flavor that made it easy for me to separate them.
One of these chemical species - perfectly white and trasnparent when it had been recrystallized several times - had a slightly nauseating sharp smell/flavor which caused the mouth to water; it ('s crystals) are durable, brittle and of a regular form.
The other chemical species - equally white, was not also transparent nor durable nor recrystallized in the same form; it was on the contrary without consistancy, crystallized in fine needles, had a noticably sweet essense analagous to a (botanical) manna (true essense of asparagus?).
M. Robiquet, in doing the work previously mentioned, had perceived the first of these substances but he believed that is was an ammonium salt because he had not then been able to procure but a very small quantity and imperfect purification, it retained according to all appearance, between its blades some traces of ammonia base-salt to which the asparagus juice bound which misled him.
Since this time, we have together submitted this substance to new experiments, which yielded the prinicple chemical species. The form that it takes on in crystallization, after M. Hauy, to whom we have given a certain quantity, derived of it a right rhoboidal prism in which the large angle of the base is approximately 130 degrees. The edges of this base and the two angles situated at the extremity of its large diagonal are replaced by facets.
This substance is moderately soluble in water and its dissolution does not give any acidity nor basicity: the infusion of gallnuts (gallic acid), lead acetate, ammonium oxalate, barium chloride (?!?), and potassium hydrogen sulfate (?) did not change to the (degree of) dissolution of this substance. It was not soluble in alcohol.
These tests indicated that the matter in which it acts is not an alkaline earth salt. We pulverized a sample with caustic potassium and a small amount of water for seeing if it would neutralize ammonia, but we did not perceive any discernable trace: the postassium (yielded?) appeared to us more soluble in water.
This indicates thus that it contained neither (earth) [historically, essential elements were considered to consist of "earth" among the "elements" - Air, Fire, Water, and in some cases oil and salt were also "elements.] (?) nor ammonia - we have investigated the existance of alkalis, and for that we have done burn tests on a somewhat large quatity in a platinum crucible , it was initially considerably puffy (effervescent?) in exhaling piquant vapors which affected the eyes and the nostrils like wood smoke. It yielded a great deal of charcoal that did not have a threshold of (smell?), and which did not leave after its incineration but an almost imperceptable trace of earth (element), which is certainly strange(novel?).
At the end of the composition of this material, the odor which emanates is analagous to that of organic matter and also a little like ammonia.
Nitric acid decomposes this substance, it emits nitrous gas, the mother liquor takes a yellow color, a bitter flavor like organic substances. When the action of nitric acid is achieved, the lime breaks down abundantly of the ammonia of the mother liquor.
This alkali is thus formed in the operation which we have just described since the substance from asparagus does not show any characteristics detectable before.
This substance is not an acid since it does not redden litmus (tincture) and because it does not have the essense infected to all these bodies, marked in a positive or negative degree.
It is not a neutral salt because it doesn not contain earth or salt (elements), but as it yields by means of fire ther same products as vegetables, we are obliged to view it as a essential constituent of asparagus.
It is probable that it is composed likethose substances of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon in the particular proportions it is no less probable that it also has a small constituent of nitrogen; it is less evident indicated by the odor that it decomposes by heat and the ammonia that it forms with nitric acid.
Althought we have obtained a somewhat large quantity of this substance, we have not been able to submit it to a very large number of tests because most of our sample is misplaced in our lab. and it does not rest with us that the smalle portion that we have given to M. Hauy, for determining the crystal form: nevertheless we believed we had to share part with the Institut in order to take date, we propose to continue our work at once when the asparagus arrives (harvests?).
We will also investigate if this singular substance does or does not exist in other vegetables.
As for the sweet material that we have also isloated, in the asparagus juice, we do not sufficiently know to which category of sugar it most resembles - we believe it depends what it is to the exudate.
One can thus say for certain, that in addition to the essential substances discovered in asparagus juice by M. Robiquet, there exists a substance that is crystallizable like salts, and which is certainly not an acid, nor a neutral salt, and in which solution in water is not affected by any of the reactions which are ordinarily used to recognize the presence and nature of salts dissolved in water, and another sweet substance which would seem to be analagous to manna (exudate?).
Upon examining more precisely the products of plant matter which have formerly not been done, modern chemists have distinguished a large number of species (types) unknown by ancient people. But for a long time, I believe, we have not found in the vegetables an immediate substance also as singularly interesting as that which we discuss here.
During the past year(summer), M. Robiquet, a young chemist who combines the solidity of reasoning with a great skill in the experiments submitted, at the invitation of M. Parmentier, has done chemical analysis on the juice of Asparagus whose interesting results he has submitted to the Annals of Chemistry.
Having given up (having been abandoned) in my laboratory, during a voyage that it (he) made, a certain quantity of asparagus juice concentrated by evaporization, I had observed a somewhat large number of crystals, among which two apparently new substances appeared, which had a form, a transparence, and a different smell/flavor that made it easy for me to separate them.
One of these chemical species - perfectly white and trasnparent when it had been recrystallized several times - had a slightly nauseating sharp smell/flavor which caused the mouth to water; it ('s crystals) are durable, brittle and of a regular form.
The other chemical species - equally white, was not also transparent nor durable nor recrystallized in the same form; it was on the contrary without consistancy, crystallized in fine needles, had a noticably sweet essense analagous to a (botanical) manna (true essense of asparagus?).
M. Robiquet, in doing the work previously mentioned, had perceived the first of these substances but he believed that is was an ammonium salt because he had not then been able to procure but a very small quantity and imperfect purification, it retained according to all appearance, between its blades some traces of ammonia base-salt to which the asparagus juice bound which misled him.
Since this time, we have together submitted this substance to new experiments, which yielded the prinicple chemical species. The form that it takes on in crystallization, after M. Hauy, to whom we have given a certain quantity, derived of it a right rhoboidal prism in which the large angle of the base is approximately 130 degrees. The edges of this base and the two angles situated at the extremity of its large diagonal are replaced by facets.
This substance is moderately soluble in water and its dissolution does not give any acidity nor basicity: the infusion of gallnuts (gallic acid), lead acetate, ammonium oxalate, barium chloride (?!?), and potassium hydrogen sulfate (?) did not change to the (degree of) dissolution of this substance. It was not soluble in alcohol.
These tests indicated that the matter in which it acts is not an alkaline earth salt. We pulverized a sample with caustic potassium and a small amount of water for seeing if it would neutralize ammonia, but we did not perceive any discernable trace: the postassium (yielded?) appeared to us more soluble in water.
This indicates thus that it contained neither (earth) [historically, essential elements were considered to consist of "earth" among the "elements" - Air, Fire, Water, and in some cases oil and salt were also "elements.] (?) nor ammonia - we have investigated the existance of alkalis, and for that we have done burn tests on a somewhat large quatity in a platinum crucible , it was initially considerably puffy (effervescent?) in exhaling piquant vapors which affected the eyes and the nostrils like wood smoke. It yielded a great deal of charcoal that did not have a threshold of (smell?), and which did not leave after its incineration but an almost imperceptable trace of earth (element), which is certainly strange(novel?).
At the end of the composition of this material, the odor which emanates is analagous to that of organic matter and also a little like ammonia.
Nitric acid decomposes this substance, it emits nitrous gas, the mother liquor takes a yellow color, a bitter flavor like organic substances. When the action of nitric acid is achieved, the lime breaks down abundantly of the ammonia of the mother liquor.
This alkali is thus formed in the operation which we have just described since the substance from asparagus does not show any characteristics detectable before.
This substance is not an acid since it does not redden litmus (tincture) and because it does not have the essense infected to all these bodies, marked in a positive or negative degree.
It is not a neutral salt because it doesn not contain earth or salt (elements), but as it yields by means of fire ther same products as vegetables, we are obliged to view it as a essential constituent of asparagus.
It is probable that it is composed likethose substances of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon in the particular proportions it is no less probable that it also has a small constituent of nitrogen; it is less evident indicated by the odor that it decomposes by heat and the ammonia that it forms with nitric acid.
Althought we have obtained a somewhat large quantity of this substance, we have not been able to submit it to a very large number of tests because most of our sample is misplaced in our lab. and it does not rest with us that the smalle portion that we have given to M. Hauy, for determining the crystal form: nevertheless we believed we had to share part with the Institut in order to take date, we propose to continue our work at once when the asparagus arrives (harvests?).
We will also investigate if this singular substance does or does not exist in other vegetables.
As for the sweet material that we have also isloated, in the asparagus juice, we do not sufficiently know to which category of sugar it most resembles - we believe it depends what it is to the exudate.
One can thus say for certain, that in addition to the essential substances discovered in asparagus juice by M. Robiquet, there exists a substance that is crystallizable like salts, and which is certainly not an acid, nor a neutral salt, and in which solution in water is not affected by any of the reactions which are ordinarily used to recognize the presence and nature of salts dissolved in water, and another sweet substance which would seem to be analagous to manna (exudate?).
posted by Ari at 1:01 PM
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