And Crenates Crenic Acid (Gr. Kpnvn, a spring or fountain), an acid and its compounds, so named by Berzelius from having been first found by him in spring water, being among the products of vegetable decomposition and constituents of humus. This acid and the apo-crenic acid associated with it differ from the extract of mould or geine of Berzelius in containing nitrogen. Liebig, Graham, and other distinguished chemists do not recognize the existence of this substance. The following description is given of it as obtained by Berzelius: a sour, yellow mass, reddening litmus, soluble in water and alcohol; forming salts (crenates) with bases, which salts are soluble in water, but not in alcohol; obtained from ochreous sediments by boiling with caustic potash, saturating with acetic acid, and precipitating with acetate of copper the crenic acid as a crenate of copper. This is decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, and purified by washing with alcohol. Its formula is given as O24H12O16, Or C7H8NO6.