3G8 DR THOMAS AXDERSON ON CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF DECOMPOSITION 



The ether was prepared iu the usual manner, by dissolving the acid in abso- 

 lute alcohol, and passing dry hydrochloric acid gas through the solution. The 

 product, which possessed all the properties of margaric ether, gave the following 

 results of analysis : 



100-00 100-00 3725-0 



These analyses estabUsh, in a satisfactory manner, that the acid produced 

 was margaric acid. It is scarcely possible, however, in the present state of the 

 investigation, to give anything like a rational explanation of the mode in which 

 it is here formed. Its production from oleic acid has been ah-eady observed by 

 Laurent as the first product of oxidation by nitric acid ; but the action of sul- 

 phur is certainly of a very different character, and cannot be considered as bear- 

 ing any analogy to that of an oxidising agent. The quantity of margaric acid 

 produced does not appear to be constant, but varies with the rapidity of the dis- 

 tillation, and is always most abundant when it is slowly perfonned. 



The oil which distils previous to and along with the margaric acid, and con- 

 stitutes by far the most abundant product of the action of sulphur upon oleic acid 

 and oil of almonds, is a very complex substance, and contains some of its consti- 

 tuents in very small proportion. On this account I found it necessary to prepare 

 it in very large quantity ; and in doing so I abandoned the use of almond oil and 

 employed linseed oil instead, which is a much cheaper substance, and yields the 

 same fluid products. When the product of the action of sulphm- is carefully rec- 

 tified, the first portions which pass over, are perfectly transparent and colom-less, 

 highly limpid and mobUe, and boU at the temperature of ItiO Fahr. Only a 

 small quantity, however, passes at this temperature, and the inmiersed thermo- 

 meter gradually rises without indicating any fixed boiling point for the fiuid. My 

 first attempts to purify this oil, and separate it into its various constituents, did 

 not afford any satisfactory conclusions. Numerous analyses of the more volatile 

 portions were made without obtaining comparable results, although all indicated 

 the presence of carbon and hydrogen nearly in the proportion of equal atoms. The 

 following are the details of three of these analyses : — 



