170 Professor Apjohn on a new Compound. 



In the second place it is a kind of double salt, composed of two haloid salts, 

 in one of which the oil perforins the very unusual function of an electro-positive 

 or basic metal, — a circumstance the more singular, as Dumas has shown that it 

 unites also to the muriatic and nitric acids, forming with them binary compounds, 

 the latter of which very readily crystallizes. The oil in fact thus appears to act 

 the part of a metal, as well as of an oxide. 



Lastly, I may observe that the method by which our compound was first acci- 

 dentally formed, and is still best made, presents an instance of incompatibility 

 which had not been previously suspected, and will no doubt suggest to chemists 

 experiments which will eventuate in the production of a series of similar sub- 

 stances. In reference, however, to this latter point, I should add, that Mr. 

 Moore has applied to the other aromatic waters the very process which succeeds 

 with cinnamon water, but without obtaining a trace of any new product. It is 

 possible, however, that new results might be obtained by substituting other 

 metals for the potassium, and replacing the iodine by bromine, or even chlorine ; 

 and I have indeed myself commenced some experiments with a view to this 

 research. 



