J 12 ACRID PRINCIPLE OP HORSERADISH. 



a waterbath. An oily fluid passed over, and in the neck of 

 the retort were streaks of oil. When live ounces of fluid 

 had come over, the apparatus was unluted, and the fluid put 

 into a phial. 

 Product. This product had a very pungent smell of horseradish, so 



as to occasion considerable pain in the nose of a person 

 Fs>ential c it. smelling to it. It was turbid. After standing some time, 

 about the quantity of ten drops of an essential oil, of a pale 

 yellow, and of the consistence of oil of cinnamon, was found 

 at the bottom of the phial. Its smell was intolerable, but 

 perfectly similar to that of horseradish root fresh scraped. 

 Its taste was at first sweetish, like that of oil of cinnamon; 

 but it left a burning acrid sensation behind, and the parts of 

 the tongue and lips touched with it became very red and 

 inflamed. A drop of this oil on a pane of glass is very 

 quickly volatilized at the temperature of 12° R. [59* F.], and 

 fills the room with a strong smell of horserad'sti. It falls to 

 the bottom of water, but mixes with it on shaking, and 

 forms a milky liquor, like that obtained by distillation. Al- 

 cohol dissolves it easily and completely. 

 Wat2r - The distilled fluid is not altered by any reagent, except 



the nitrate of silver, and acetate of lead. The first changes 

 it brown, and throws down a black precipitate: the second 

 Contains sul- produces a brownish precipitate, indicating the presence of 

 * ur * sulphur, which Gutret and Tingry had likewise found in 



horseradish. The water saturated with essential oil com- 

 ports itself in the same manner. 

 Pungency scon The distilled water, or that saturated with oil, if exposed 

 evaporates ub- to the air, soon loses its pungent smell, and retains only that 

 fcssclL ** of tu **mps: but in close vessels it preserves its strength for 

 years. Having left a portion of the distilled water, with a few 

 drops of the oil at the bottom, standing in a phial for a 

 twelvemonth, in a cool place, the oil had disappeared, but 

 some small shining needles of a silvery white were formed. 

 These I collected, but the quantity was so small, 1 could 

 not make an accurate analysis of them ; so that I am not 

 certain, whether they were benzoic or camphoric acid. 

 These crystals when dried had a strong smell of horseradish, 

 and irritated the throat. They dissolved slowly and incom- 

 pletely in alcohpl. In a spoon oyer the flame of a candle 

 ? they 



