I)u. Thomson and Mb. Wood on Ute Composition of Shea Butter. 285 



The following table gives the composition of the above salt in 100 



parts: — 



Anhydrous 

 I. H. m. Mean. Acid. 



0, 54-73 54-88 54-54 54-71 7783 



H, 8-94 8-78 9-22 8.98 1277 



0, 612 6-75 6-94 6-60 9-40 



AgO,... 30-21 29-59 2930 29-71 — 



From the facts, which have been stated in reference to the acid 

 contained in the Shea butter, it is obvious that it is Margaric acid, the 

 same substance which is found in human fat and butter. There is little 

 doubt that, on examination, this acid will be found extensively distributed 

 in the vegetable kingdom. Its presence in the Shea butter may assist in 

 explaining the statement of Park, that this substance, when fresh, is 

 equal in taste to butter. 



Chinese Vegetable Tallow. — This is a solid oil long known to those 

 who are acquainted with China, where it is extensively used for making 

 candles. It is derived from the seeds of the Stillingia sebifera, which, 

 according to Fortune, (Wanderings in China, p. 65,) are pulled in Novem- 

 ber and December. They are placed in a wooden cylinder with a per- 

 forated bottom, over an iron vessel filled with water, which is boiled, and 

 the seeds well steamed, to soften the tallow. In ten minutes they are 

 thrown into a large stone mortar, and beat with stone mallets to separate 

 the tallow from the other parts of the seed. The tallow is thrown on a 

 sieve, heated over the fire, and sifted, and is then squeezed out by a 

 peculiar press. As imported, it is a hard white solid oil, with a green 

 shade. It fuses at about 80°. The oil was saponified, and the acid 

 separated and purified according to the method already noticed. A soda 

 salt was formed, and from this a silver salt was precipitated. 



14*38 grains of this salt, when burned, left 4-03 grains of metallic 

 silver, which gives the following for the composition of the salt : — 



Atomic Weight. Per cent. 



Oxide of silver, 4-328 14-50 30-03 



Acid, 10052 33-67 69-97 



The acid was not quite pure, for when heated it softened at 143°, 

 became very soft at 149°, of the consistence of cream at 150°, and quite 

 fluid at 154°. It obviously, therefore, retained some stearic acid, but 

 must have consisted principally of margaric acid } as stearic acid fuses at 

 167°. There is no doubt that both of these oils might be advantageously 

 employed in soap-making, the supply apparently, from the statements of 

 the traders, being unlimited. 



