1 66 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



oxygenated, the other not. It begins to boil at about 338° F. ; the 

 boiling remains long stationary at 356°, and then gradually rises 

 to 410° F. 



The oxygenated principle may be isolated by receiving only the 

 last distilled portions of the oil. It undergoes a remarkable meta- 

 morphosis : when it is heated for a few minutes with an alcoholic 

 solution of potash, it is converted into a saline mixture, from which 

 the mineral acids separate an oily acid. This is a mixture of a liquid 

 acid, the valerianic and a solid acid, which is the angelicic. 



The identity of the liquid acid with the valerianic was rendered 

 unquestionable by the analysis of the salts of silver and of barium, 

 which gave OH 9 2 (Ag) and OH y 2 (Ba). As to angelicic acid, 

 it crystallizes from boiling water in magnificent crystals, which are 

 volatile, without decomposing, and are very fusible : they contain 

 C 5 H 7 2 (H). This composition places angelicic acid in the homo- 

 logous group wCH a -f0 2 — H 2 , which contains anilic, pyroterebic, 

 campbolic, moringic and elaidic acids. 



Angelicic acid was discovered by MM. Meyer and Zenner, who 

 obtained it with valerianic acid by treating angelica root with milk 

 of lime ; it is therefore probable that angelica root contains the 

 same essential oil as the chamomile. 



M. Deville obtained by the dry distillation of the resin of guaiacum 

 an oil O H s O, which oxidizes by exposure to the air, and is converted 

 into a substance which crystallizes in beautiful lamina?. This oil is 

 unquestionably angelicic aldehyde, belonging to the homologous series 

 aCH 2 + 0-H 2 . 



The author did not possess sufficient oil to determine the com- 

 position of the oxygenated principle which the two acids described 

 yielded ; it may, however, he thinks, be predicted that this substance 

 belongs to the echelon C 10 . 



As to the carburetted hydrogen of the oil of chamomile, it remains 

 in a pure state. After treating the oil with potash, it has a very 

 agreeable odour of lemons, boils at 347° F., and appears to be iden- 

 tical with cumen C 40 H 14 , extracted by the author and M. Cahours 

 from cummin. 



Oil of Rue. — This substance was first analysed by M. Will ; but 

 M. Gerhardt states he showed three years since that the conclusions 

 of M. Will were inadmissible, and that oil of rue must contain an 

 isomeric of oil of mint, so well analysed by M. Walter. The author 

 remarks that his recent analyses agree perfectly with his opinion. 



Oil of rue contains but a very small quantity of carburetted hy- 

 drogen ; it is composed almost entirely of an oil C 10 H 20 O, to which 

 the author has given the name of caprol : it may be obtained pure 

 by collecting the last distilled portions of the oil. Caprol boils at 

 about 451° F. ; it becomes resinous when heated with potashed lime, 

 and reduces ammoniacal nitrate of silver at a boiling heat. These 

 characters show that caprol is the capric aldehyde of the homologous 

 series wCH' 2 +0. 



The author has as yet been able so to regulate the oxidizement 

 of caprol as to obtain capric acid only. In employing nitric acid of 

 different degrees of concentration, a homologue of capric acid, pelar- 



