considered as a peculiar Acid. 147 
verted into acid. After the second rectification, but a very small 
quantity of oil of camphor will be obtained, which floats above 
the weak nitric acid. 
The camphoric acid, at the end of the evaporation, is found 
above the fuming nitric acid, under the form of a white and buty- 
raceous substance. It is separated by means of a glass funnel, 
redissolved in boiling water and crystallized ‘again, in order to se- 
parate from it all the excess of nitric acid. This acid perfectly 
. pure weighed five drachms, exclusive of that which still remained 
in the concentrated nitric acid, and which might amount to one 
drachm anda half. This process therefore seems to abridge the 
ordinary manipulation. It appears that the great art consists in 
not pushing the distillation with too much activity,’ particularly 
towards the end of the operation, because we might run the risk 
of decomposing part of the camphoric acid formed by the nitric 
acid in excess, which may always be observed by the brown co- 
lour which the residue then assumes. 
The form of the crystallized camphoric acid is feathery ke 
that of the muriate of ammonia, as M. Bouillon-Lagrange has 
observed: this crystalline form is very different from 34 those of 
the acids composed of several radicals, and particularly from that 
‘of the benzoic acid. ~ 
Comparative Experiments between the Benzoic Acid and the 
Canphoric Acid * , 
Camphoric Acid. 
1. Solubility of camphoric 
Benxoic Acid, 
1. Solubility of this acid 
acid in cold water. Ten grains 
‘of camphoric acid were agitated, 
in 500 grains of distilled Water, 
in a vessel which might covytain 
two ounces of water, for an 
hour and a half, at a cempera- 
ture of 15° Reaumur:; the liquor 
was then filtered on a filter 
weighing 45 grains. The filter 
when dried avain had retained 
five grains of acid. Thus 100 
parts of cold water dissolve one 
part of camphorie acid. This 
experiment differs from that of 
Kosegarten, who says that it re- 
quires 2045 parts of water, and of 
that of Doerfurt, who pretends 
that 
in cold water. Having opé- 
rated under this circumstance 
as in the foregoing experiment, 
there remained a residue weigh- 
ing seven grains and a half; 
consequently. there had been 
only two grains and a half of 
acid dissolved: hence it results 
that one part of benzoic acid 
requires 200 parts of water to 
dissolve it. The benzoie acid 
differs considerably, therefore, 
from the camphoric acid in this 
respect. The result of this ex- 
periment also differs much from 
that of Doerfurt and other che- 
mists, who assert that 500 or 
K2 at 
* Care was taken to employ acids perfectly purified by crystallization, 
