396 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



VALERIANIC ACID AND ITS SALTS. 



It is well known that M. Grote discovered in the distilled water of 

 valerian an acid, which has been examined by M. Peatz (Berzelius, 

 Traite de Chimie, tome v. p. 98). M. Tromsdorff has made some new 

 observations respecting this acid. 



Valerianic acid is liquid, colourless, limpid, and oleaginous. Its 

 smell strongly resembles that of the root and the essential oil of the 

 Valeriana officinalis : the odour is diminished when the acid is com- 

 bined with a base, but it is never totally lost. The taste of valerianic 

 acid is very strong, very acid, unpleasant, and permanent. If the acid 

 is diluted, it leaves a sweetish after-taste. Its sp. gr. is about 0*944 ; 

 it remains fluid at 0° Fahr. : it burns, without leaving any residue, 

 with an intense flame ; when heated to about 270° it boils ; it is 

 soluble in 30 parts of water at 54° ; alcohol dissolves it in. all pro- 

 portions, but neither olive oil nor oil of turpentine • it is very soluble 

 in concentrated acetic acid of sp. gr. 1*07 ; cold sulphuric acid renders 

 it yellow, and decomposes it when hot, sulphurous acid being evolved ; 

 nitric acid, even when hot, has not much action upon it. 



According to M. Effling, it is composed of 



Carbon 6496 or 10 atoms = 76437 



Hydrogen.... 9'54 — 18 = 112-31 



Oxygen 25-50 — 3 = 30000 



100- 1176*68 



Valerianic acid is prepared by agitating the essential oil of valerian 

 with carbonate of magnesia and water. The mixture is to be after- 

 wards distilled, and by this an oil is obtained which is no longer acid, 

 and the odour of which is less strong than the original oil : a proper 

 quantity of sulphuric acid is to be added to the liquid which remains 

 in the retort, and the distillation is to be repeated. The valerianate is 

 decomposed, and the valerianic acid distils. 



Valerianic acid may also be obtained by another process, described in 

 the work of Berzelius. It consists in saturating the distilled water of 

 valerian with carbonate of potash or of soda ; distilling to separate 

 the oil ; then decomposing with sulphuric acid, to obtain the valerianic 

 acid by distillation. 



The oil of valerian may also be treated with potash or soda j then 

 separating the oil, and afterwards the acid. 



The valerianates have a peculiar odour ; a sweet taste, followed by 

 a sharp one. Some of these salts are unalterable when exposed to the 

 air, some efflorescent, and others deliquescent j they crystallize with 

 different degrees of facility -, they are greasy to the touch, and of dif- 

 ferent degrees of solubility in water j by heat they are decomposed, 

 but there is first a disengagement of a small quantity of acid, which is 

 volatilized without alteration. The stronger acids separate the valeri- 

 anic acid from its combinations, and this acid decomposes the ben- 

 zoates and the carbonates. 



The valerianates of potash and soda are deliquescent ; the valeri- 

 anate of zinc crystallizes in laminoe during the cooling of a hot solu- 



