$66 Dr. Stenhouse o)i the Oil produced by the 



usually attributed to the series, ought to be admitted, and then 

 it may be admitted with perfect confidence. This I now pro- 

 ceed to exemplify. ^r> 

 [To be continued.] 



LV, Pn the Oil produced, by the Action of Chlorine on Cin- 

 namic Acid. By John Stenhouse, Ph.D.* 



IN a paper on the Action of Chlorine on Cinnamic and Ben- 

 zoic Acids, published in the August number of this Ma- 

 gazine, I described the formation and some of the properties 

 of a remarkable oily compound which is invariably formed 

 whenever cinnamic acid is heated in contact with either chlo- 

 rine or hypochlorous acid. I shall now proceed to detail 

 some additional observations which I have been able subse- 

 quently to make upon the oil ; but as the mode of its forma- 

 tion has been pretty fully described in the previous paper, I 

 do not think it necessary to repeat it here. ' ^ 



The oil is heavier than water and has a very peculiar arOJ 

 matic smell, which reminds one at once of the oil of bitter al-» 

 monds and of that of Spiraa Ultnaria, though it is not exactly 

 like either of these bodies. When strongly heated, it readily 

 catches fire, burns with a green-coloured flame, and emits 

 fumes of muriatic acid gas. When boiled with potash lye, it 

 is partially decomposed with the formation of chloride of po- 

 tassium. When some bits of sodium are put into it, bubbles 

 of a gas, apparently hydrogen, are given off, the oil becoming 

 hot and inflaming with explosion. Ammonia does not appeap 

 to act upon it, either in the liquid or gaseous state. Sulphu- 

 ric acid does not dissolve it in the cold, but with the assistance 

 of heat first reddens and then chars it. A portion of the oil, 

 which had been rendered anhydrous by being allowed to stand 

 for some days over a mixture of quicklime and fused chloride 

 of calcium, was then very cautiously distilled. The first por- 

 tion which came over was colourless and neutral, but what 

 followed became more and more acid, the last portions exceed- 

 ingly so, evolving fumes of muriatic acid and assuming a deep 

 yellow colour. The first portion of the oil which had been 

 dried in this way was subjected to analysis. The chlorine con- 

 tained in the oil was determined by passing it very slowly over 

 a large quantity of red-hot quicklime in a very long tube. 

 Unless great care is taken to conduct this operation very 

 slowly, the oil passes over the hot lime without giving up all 

 its chlorine. When a condensing apparatus is attached to the 

 ppe^ end of the combustion-tube containing the lime, an agree- 

 * Communicated by the Author. 



