458 Dr. Anderson on the Products of the 



the small scale, was too tedious for the large quantities on which 

 I now operated. The preliminary process of rectifying the oil, 

 which was quite beyond the resources of a laboratory, was effected 

 at a manufactory. The whole oil was introduced at once into a 

 cast-iron retort, furnished with a good condenser, kept cool by 

 an abundant current of ice-cold water. A very gentle heat was 

 applied, and the first twenty gallons which passed over were 

 collected apart ; they consisted of about equal bulks of a highly 

 volatile oil, and of water charged with sulphide of ammonium, 

 hydrocyanate and carbonate of ammonia, and a small quantity of 

 very volatile bases. The oil which distilled over after this frac- 

 tion had been separated was collected in a succession of casks, 

 which were numbered as they were filled. 



In the after treatment of the oil, a process was employed 

 similar to that which I had formerly made use of, with this ex- 

 ception, that the watery fluid, which had formerly been rejected, 

 was employed for obtaining any bases which might have been 

 dissolved in it along with the ammonia. For this purpose it was 

 separated from the oil, and dilute sulphuric acid gradually added, 

 when carbonic, hydrocyanic, and hydrosulphuric acids escaped 

 with violent effervescence. When acid enough had been added 

 to communicate a powerfully acid reaction to the fluid, it was 

 put into a large copper boiler and boiled for some time, water 

 being added at intervals, so as to keep up the bulk. After the 

 ebullition had been sufficiently prolonged, the fluid was allowed 

 to cool, and slaked lime added in excess. A copper head was 

 then fitted to the boiler and luted down with clay, a condenser 

 attached, and heat applied. The distillate was collected in a 

 large glass receiver, which, in order to prevent the escape of 

 ammonia and any very volatile products which might be carried 

 along with it, was connected by a doubly-bent tube with a second 

 receiver containing water, through which the gaseous products 

 were allowed to stream. The fluid which distilled was coloured 

 blue by the solution of small quantities of copper from the con- 

 denser; it had a powerfully ammoniacal and putrid odour, and 

 when treated with sticks of caustic potass, in the manner de- 

 scribed in the first part of this paper, ammonia was rapidly 

 evolved with effervescence, and a small quantity of very volatile 

 and pungent bases collected on the surface of the potash. These 

 bases were separated from the potash fluid, which was preserved 

 along with the ammoniacal solution obtained by the absorption 

 of the gaseous products in the second receiver. 



The treatment of the oil was conducted in a manner very 

 similar to that already described, and as I desired to have only 

 the more volatile products, I employed the first half of the oil 

 only. It was agitated with dilute sulphuric acid in casks about 



