464 DE ANDERSON ON THE PRODUCTS OF THE 



be correct in the main, notwithstanding their having been called in question by 

 Reichenbach, whose numerous researches on the kindred subject of the products 

 of the destructive distillation of vegetable substances, gave weight to his opinion, 

 and have indeed been the principal cause of the doubts expressed by others on 

 the subject. 



The investigation of these products has occupied me pretty continuously since 

 the publication of the paper before alluded to ; and my researches have now ex- 

 tended themselves over a large part of the subject, although, from its branching 

 off into so many subdivisions, and embracing the consideration of so large a num- 

 ber of substances belonging to almost every class of organic compounds, some 

 time must still elapse before it is complete in all its parts. It is my intention, 

 therefore, as the subject naturally divides itself into several sections, to take up 

 the consideration of these in a succession of papers, of which the present is the 

 first, and in which I propose to consider the general properties of the crude pro- 

 duct employed in my experiments, and those of certain of the organic bases con- 

 tained in it. 



The products of the destructive distillation of animal matters were long since 

 employed in medicine, and were obtained from all parts of the body, and from 

 almost every section of the animal kingdom ; but these afterwards entirely gave 

 way to the Oleum Cornu Cervi, which, as hartshorn is entirely free from fatty 

 matters, must necessarily be the pure product of decomposition of the gelatinous 

 tissues. The more volatile portions of this oil, separated by distillation with 

 water, and purified by numerous rectifications, constituted the Oleum Animale 

 DippeUii of the older pharmacopoeias. These substances would, in all probability, 

 have been the most convenient crude materials for my experiments ; but as they 

 have long since ceased to be employed, and cannot now be obtained except by 

 going through the tedious and disagreeable process for their preparation, I have 

 made use of the bone-oil of commerce, which is prepared on the large scale by 

 the distillation of bones in iron cylinders, and can be had in any quantity from 

 the manufacturers of ivory-black. This oil appears to differ in no respect from 

 the true Oleum Cornu Cervi, and, like it, is the product of decomposition of the 

 gelatinous tissues only ; for previous to distillation the bones are boiled in a large 

 quantity of water, by which means both the fatty matters and also a certain pro- 

 portion of the gelatine are separated. They are then dried, packed in the cylin- 

 ders, and distilled at a heat which is gradually raised to redness. The oily pro- 

 duct of this distillation is separated from the watery portion, and, after rectifica- 

 tion, forms the bone-oil of commerce ; though in some instances this latter dis- 

 tillation is dispensed with, and the product of the first made use of without any 

 further purification. 



Bone-oil, as supplied by the manufacturer, has a dark-brown, almost black co- 

 lour, witli a somewhat greenish shade, and perfectly opaque in the mass ; but when 



