Iodine, and the Essential Oil of Cinnamon. 119 



may be represented by unity. When these arithmetical ope- 

 rations are performed we obtain the numbers in the second 

 and third columns of the following table, the former being the 

 quotients themselves, and the latter other numbers bearing to 

 each other the same proportion. 



(1.) (2.) (3.) 



Iodide of potassium ... 12*55 0*075 I'OOO 



Iodine 28*14 0*223 2*973 



Oil of cinnamon 59*30 0*44.2 5*893 



The numbers, it will be seen, in the last column approxi- 

 mate so closely to the integers 1, 3, and 6, as to leave little 

 doubt that the true empirical formula is 

 IK + Ia+Cing*, 

 a conclusion which is strikingly confirmed by the following 

 statement of the composition of our substance in 100 parts 

 calculated upon this hypothesis. 



Iodide of potassium 12*26 



Iodine 28*08 



Oil of cinnamon 59*66 



100-00 

 To apply, however, to this conclusion the most decisive 

 test, it remained to burn the substance with oxide of copper, 

 and see whether the carbonic acid and water thus obtained 

 would correspond with the amount of oil of cinnamon ascribed 

 to the compound. 



7*08 grains, Liebig's apparatus for potash being employed, 

 yielded of carbonic acid 12*70 grains, and of water 2*60, 

 equivalent to 3*513 carbon and 0*288 hydrogen. But, adopt- 

 ing for a moment the empirical formula already arrived at, 

 the 7'08 grains of the substance would contain 4*223 of oil of 

 cinnamon. If, therefore, from this we deduct the carbon and 

 hydrogen, we obtain the oxygen, and find the constituents of 

 the oil to be as follows : 



Carbon 3*513 



Hydrogen 0*288 



Oxygen 0*420 



If these be divided by the atomic weights, and if also we sub- 

 stitute for the quotients numbers in the same ratio with them, 

 that for carbon being assumed 18, we obtain the following: 



Carbon 18*00 



Hydrogen 8*82 



Oxygen 1*60 



* Cin is assumed as the symbol for the oil of cinnamon. 



