JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY, 

 TOKYO, JAPAN. 



VOL. XIX., ARTICLE 12. 



The Composition of so-called Elaeomargaric Acid. 



By 



Tokuhei Kametaka, Eigakushi. 

 Professor of Chemistry, Higher Normal School, Tokyo. 



The oil of Elœococca vemieia, or Japanese wood oil, was first 

 investigated by S. Cloëz {Comp, rend., 1875, 81, 469 : 1876, 82, 

 501 ; 1876, 83, 943), who. on saponifying the oil with alcoholic 

 potash, obtained two acids, one of which was solid and the other liquid 

 at the ordinary temperature. At first, he gave the formula C 17 H 30 O :; 

 to the solid acid, which he named margarolic acid, but in his third 

 paper he changed the formula to C 17 H 30 O 2 , having found that the 

 earlier formula was incorrect owing to some absorption of oxygen 

 by the acid having been overlooked. He also changed the name 

 of the acid to elœomargaric acid. The liquid acid, which he at first 

 named chcolic acid, was afterwards found to he ordinary oleic acid, the 

 oil containing about 75 per cent, of the glvceride of elœo-margaric 

 acid and 25 per cent, of olein. 



From the analysis and the determination of the neutralisation 

 number, K. Ishikawa {Dissertation, 1885, unpublished) gave the 

 formula C 17 H 28 2 to the solid acid, whilst De Negri ami Sburlati 

 {L'Orosi, IN!)»!, 19 291) »adopted Cloëz's formula. C ]7 H 30 O 2 . 



In 189!;), K. Iliguchi {Jonrn. Chem. Ind., Tokyo, 2, 1). by 



