sn 



NEW OLEAGINOUS COMPOUND. 



farther to make a series of experiments on the different regc- 

 table, animal, and mineral acids, in order to observe whe- 

 ther any other acid or acids were capable of effecting a simi- 

 lar combination ; as tliere seemed from analogy just grounds 

 to suppose, that any other mild vegetable acid would pro- 

 duce an analogous compound, when treated in a similar 

 manner. 



I^xperimcnts 

 with camphor 

 and other acids 

 in'?t'>;id of th« 

 benzoic. 



None of them 

 produced such 

 a conapoihid. 



Experiments. 



5. Oxalic acidgr. xx, camphor gr. xx, alcohol |ss, water |ss, 



6. Tartaric acid .....-- 



7. Boracic acid ....... 



8. Citric acid -- 



9. Camphoric acid . . . . . 



10. Succinic acid - - - - - - - 



11. Alcohol JsSjCamph. gr. xx. Lactic acid ^ss, water jii. 



12. 

 13. 

 14. 

 15. 

 16. 

 17. 

 18. 



Formic acid 3ii 

 Acetic acid 

 Prussic acid 

 Phosphoric acid 

 Muriatic acid 

 Sulphuric acid 

 Nitric acid* - 



From all these experiments, however, not one of the 

 acids was capable of producing the substance in question ; 

 but on the contrary caused in some instances the precipita» 

 tion of the camphor previous to the addition of water. 

 Benzoic acid, therefore, may be considered as exerting a 

 Tery peculiar attraction to enter into combination with cam. 

 phor, when assisted by the cooperative power of alcohol 

 or ether. It is extremely probable, that the incapability of 

 the above mentioned acids of forming compounds with cam- 

 phor may arise in general from their being stronger acids^ 



* Although nitric acid in this combination was incapable of pro- 

 ducing an oily compound, yet in its undiluted state it readily dis- 

 solves camphor, formmg that substance which has been improperly 

 termed the oil of camphor, and which in my humble opinion bet- 

 ter deserves the appellation of nitrate of camphor; since it would 

 do away the ambiguous and unscientific tei-m of the former, and 

 convey^ I trust, a better expression of its composition. 



iO 



