199 

 Salicylate of Methyl =Ci6 Hg O 6=0.2 H3 + Cu H5 O5. 



In the herb of Gaultiera procunibens, and doubtless of other 

 sj^ecies; it forms in the main the oil of wintergreen, obtained from 

 that plant by distillation with water, and has also been observed 

 lately as constituent of Monotropa Hypopitys. In the rectification 

 of the above oil a light oil of the composition of oil of turpentine 

 passes over at 200°; the boiling point rises rapidly, and when it is 

 as high as 222° Salicylate of Methyl begins to distil. — This is a 

 coloiu-less oil, of a pleasant and very penetrating odour, and of a 

 sweet, aromatic, refreshing taste, of 1'18 density, boils at 222°, 

 dissolves little in water, the sohition becoming purple-violet with 

 salts of oxyd of iron ; mixes with alcohol, ether, and oils in every 

 IH'oportion, splits up with aqueous alkalies into salicylic acid and 

 wood-spirit, forms with bases compounds wherein 1 eq. H is sub- 

 stituted by 1 eq. metal, the potassium-compound dissolving readily 

 in water, not so readily that of sodium, still less those of baryum, 

 zinc, lead, copper, and mercury. 



Salicylic Aci(l=Ci4 H 5 5 + HO. In the flowers of Spiraea 

 Ulmavia, combined with methyl in Gaultiera procumbens. May be 

 obtained from the distillation of the crude salicylite of soda (see 

 Salicylous acid), or by extracting the above flowers with ether, 

 distilling the ether from the solution, dissolving the renniant in 

 Avater, saturating the solution (containing salicylic and tannic 

 acids) with carbonate of soda, evaporating and distilling with 

 sulphuric acid. The aqueous distillate, by slow evaporation, yields 

 the acid in colourless needles. From the oil of Gaultiera it is 

 obtained by heating with strong potash-ley, until the whole of the 

 wood-spirit is driven ofi", preci^iitating the remnant with hydro- 

 chloric acid, washing the deposit with hot water and recrystallising 

 from hot alcohol. — The Salicylic acid crystallises in colourless 

 needles and in tolei'ably large quadrangular prisms, has a sweetish, 

 acid, afterwards irritating taste, reddens litmus paper, fuses at 

 150°, siiblimates unaltered at 200° without boiling, dissolves 

 little in cold, abundantly in hot water, readily in wood-spirit, 

 alcohol and ether. The aqueous solution, like salicylous acid, 

 colours the salts of oxyd of iron purple-violet. The Salicylates of 

 the alkalies, of the alkaline earths and of zinc dissolve readily in 

 water, those of lead, copper and silver with difliculty, all being 

 crystallisable. The aqueous solutions of the Salicylates of alkalies 

 tuni brown at the air. In the destructive distillation most of its 

 salts yield carbolic acid and carbonates. 



Salicylous Acid =Ci4 H0 O3. Found as yet in all parts, but 

 especially in the flowers of S})ir;ea Ulmaria; also in other herba- 

 ceous kinds of Spiraea, in the flowers of Crepis foetida, but seems 

 to be only formed under the concurrence of water. It is obtained 

 by distilling with water. The acid distillate is saturated with 



