238 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



The properties of laurostearine are, that when purified by alcohol 

 it is in the form of» small white brilliant silky light needles, which 

 are frequently grouped in the form of stars. It is very difficultly 

 soluble in cold alcohol, but readily soluble in strong boiling alcohol, 

 and is deposited almost entirely in crystals as the solution cools. 

 It is very soluble in aether, and by spontaneous evaporation' cry- 

 stallizes, as it does from the alcoholic solution. It fuses at about 

 112° Fahr., and on cooling becomes amass resembling stearine, pre- 

 senting no traces of a crystalline texture, and is brittle and friable. 

 Solution of potash saponifies it pretty readily, and forms a perfectly 

 bright soapy solution : the soap separated by chloride of sodium is 

 hard, and yields by decomposition with acids a fatty acid, the lauro- 

 stearic acid. By dry distillation it yields acroleine, and a solid 

 fatty body, crystallizable from aether. It is formed of 

 1 atom laurostearic acid = C 24 H 46 O 3 

 1 atom glycerine = C 3 H 4 O 



1 atom laurostearine . . = C 27 H b0 O 4 



Ibid* 



ON LAUROSTEARIC ACID. BY M. MARSSON. 



This acid is obtained in the usual mode, by the addition of tartaric 

 acid to a hot solution. Soda-soap prepared with pure laurostearine 

 has the appearance of a colourless oil, which on cooling becomes a 

 solid crystalline transparent mass ; it is very soluble in strong al- 

 cohol, and still more so in aether, but it does not separate from either 

 of these solvents in the form of crystals. Its fusing-point is lower 

 than that of the laurostearine itself, being about 107° Fahr. 



The alcoholic solution has a strong acid reaction. The acid se- 

 parated in the mode above described is a hydrate ; its formula 

 is = C 24 H 48 O 4 , and that of the anhydrous acid, combined with 

 bases in salts, is = C 24 H 46 O 3 . Laurostearic acid, therefore, con- 

 tains, in the state of hydrate, an atom of water, which in salts is 

 replaced by an equivalent of base. 



Bay-berries contain, besides, a considerable quantity of fluid green 

 fatty matter and resin, but the last-mentioned does not possess any 

 peculiar acid properties. — Ibid. 



ON THE PRESENCE OF ANTIMONY IN ARSENIOUS ACID. 

 Mi A. Wiggers attempted some time since to preserve transpa- 

 rent fragments of arsenious acid under hydrochloric acid. He did 

 not succeed ; the arsenious acid became gradually cloudy and opake, 

 but the examination of the hydrochloric acid proved that it con- 

 tained a considerable quantity of oxide of antimony, Sb 2 3 . Seve- 

 ral cases may occur in which it is advantageous to be aware of 

 this admixture, and in this point of view the statement of the 

 facts is not unimportant. A large portion of oxide of antimony 

 sublimes with arsenious acid ; the hydrochloric acid completely 



* See p. 167 of the present Number. 



