153 



Article VIII. 



Experiments on the Essential Oil of the Spiraea Ulmaria, or 

 Meadow- Sweet ; by Dr. L<5wig, Professor of Chemistry at 

 Zurich*. 



From J. C. Poggendorff's Annalen der Physik unci Ckemie; Berlin, 

 Second Series, vol. v. p. 596. 



W HILST by the examination of plants and vegetable matters we 

 have acquired the knowledge of a great number of oxyacids with 

 compound radicals, with the exception of prussic acid no such hydracid 

 has been shown to exist in organic nature ; and of hydracids with ter- 

 nary radicals, if we except the sulphocyanic acid, we have not the 

 slightest knowledge. 



The constancy of the pheenomena which oil of bitter almonds pre- 

 sents, have not only led to the positive knowledge of the existence of 

 ternary radicals, but also to the fact that oxyacids exist with ternary 

 bases containing oxygen. 



By means of the experiments made with the essential oil of the blos- 

 soms of the Spircea Ulmaria, described in the following treatise, the first 

 hydracid with a ternarj' radical in organic nature has been discovered 

 in a most extraordinary manner, and they give every reason to hope 

 that the radical of the same may also be isolated. 



The reader must excuse the circumstances that the experiments are not 

 carried further, and that some of the most important appearances when 

 remarked have not been further pursued, as for all the experiments, 

 there was only a very small quantity of material at the disposal of the 

 experimenter. 



If also, on account of the small quantity of the oil which could be 

 subjected to research, each experiment was conducted only on a small 

 scale, especially as regards the analysis, and could only be seldom re- 

 peated, the coincidence of each separate experiment may perhaps in 

 part supply the want of repetition. Should however the analytical re- 

 sults experience any small change by later repeated experiments, we 

 may nevertheless be sure that the facts themselves of which this Memoir 

 treats will lose nothing in importance. 



By means of this communication the attention of chemists may be 

 drawn to the oil of the Spircea, so that not only a repetition of these 

 experiments, but also a further extension of them may be expected with 

 certainty from other chemists. 



• [The Lditor is indebted for the translation ot this Paper to E.Solly, jun., Esq.] 



