ACID AND THE PRODUCTS OF ITS DISTILLATION. 63 
cond, 1656 gr. carbonic acid = 6C O*, must have been evolved. 
It is evident that this evolution is much greater than in the ex- 
periment of Chevreul, which indicates only one third of the quan- 
tity of carbonic acid of the first, and only z'5th of that of the 
second calculated formula. It may therefore with some probabi- 
_ lity be concluded, that the evolution of carbonic acid, and the 
formation of margarone, do not stand necessarily in connexion 
with each other. 
There is formed therefore margarone, C** Hs: O, without the 
evolution of carbonic acid, and it is certain that the carbonic 
acid is to be attributed to a further decomposition; it is also 
evident that the carbon which remains behind stands in a very 
definite relation to it, since margarone, when distilled by itself, 
also leaves behind carbon; in consequence, however, of such a 
separation of carbon, a compound containing oxygen must have 
been formed. 
Lastly, it is not uninteresting to observe, that according to 
the last method of deduction, the carburetted hydrogen which 
presents itself, together with 1 equiv. water, gives exactly the 
composition of anhydrous zthal; for this Carbimettied hydrogen, 
= Cs? Hs* + Aq, contains the eats of zthal :-— 
Anhydrous zthal = C** HO. 
It is known that spermaceti, when distilled, yields no «thal 
(Bussy and Lecanu), from which it is evident, that in the anhy- 
drous condition it is decomposed under the influence of a high 
temperature ; it is therefore in the highest degree probable, that 
the carburetted hydrogen is identical with cetene. 
The existence of a common radical in the two most prevalent 
fat acids, must be of great importance in the theory of organic 
compounds. 
In a memoir published by M. Bromeis in Der Annalen der 
Chemie und Pharmacie (Part I. vol. xxxv.), he has elicited the 
strongest proof of the identity of the radical, in the behaviour of 
stearic acid with nitric acid, by which, on the first action the 
whole mass is immediately changed into margaric acid, namely, 
into an acid which melts at 60° C. (140° F.), and possesses the 
composition and all the other properties of that prepared from 
human fat. 
His experiments were repeated by myself and perfectly cor- 
roborated. 
