Dr. Kane on the Composition 0/ certain Essential Oils. 137 



by lime gives a soluble salt, which contains an acid belonging to the class composed 

 of oxygen, sulphur, and an organic element. If the mixture of oil of rosemary and 

 sulphuric acid be distilled, there is obtained a fluid possessing an aromatic, yet 

 alliaceous odour, resembling that of mesitylene. When quite pure this fluid has 

 a specific gravity 0.8678, and boils at about 344° Fahrenheit. It gives, on 

 analysis, the same composition as oil of turpentine ; but I shall defer the details 

 to the memoir on the Chemical Habitudes of the Oils as a Class. To this fluid 

 I have given the name of Rosmarine; but I have not determined its atomic 

 weight, so as to be able to say whether oil of rosemary be a bi-hydrate of rose- 

 marine, and its formula c^^n^^-\-'2'a.o. I use the word bi-hydrate here, merely 

 in order to represent the abstraction of 2 ho by the sulphuric acid, and not wish- 

 ing to involve any consideration of theory, which will be discussed in its proper 

 place in the memoir already alluded to. 



II. OIL OF MARJORAM. (ORIGANUM VULGARe) 



This oil is found in commerce nearly pure. Its specific gravity is variable ; 

 Mr. Brande found it 0.909 ; while I obtained 0.8901. This arises from the 

 quantity of stearopten which it contains not being constant, though generally 

 large. By rectification several times, so as to deprive it of the solid matter, it is 

 obtained finally of the specific gravity 0.8673, the boiling point being almost 

 completely constant at 322° F. In this state it was analyzed. 



A. Material = 0.368 gramme gave 



Water = 0.368 



Carbonic acid = 1.154 



B. Material = 0.2907 gramme gave 



Water = 0.300 



Carbonic acid ^ 0.905 



C. Material = 0.2854 gramme gave 



Water = 0.295 



Carbonic acid = 0.891 



D. Material = 0.2881 gramme gave 



Water = 0.302 



Carbonic acid = 0.898 



u2 



