in the Butter of Nutmegs. 103 



evaporation a red, soft, semi-fluid fat of an agreeable odour 

 of the nutmeg. Part of the butter remains undissolved; a 

 small portion of it does dissolve, but is again precipitated 

 upon cooling. When the alcohol is very strong, the butter 

 dissolves in four times its weight (Schrader). 



The fat, which remains undissolved, is very impure, and, 

 even after several digestions, still retains the odour of the 

 butter. It must therefore be subjected to strong pressure 

 within folds of bibulous paper, first by treating it with al- 

 cohol, and afterwards with sether, and renewing the pressure 

 after each treatment. The solution in aether must be filtered 

 whilst hot, in order to get rid of the impurities. When the 

 fat has attained a constant melting point of 31° C, it may be 

 considered pure. 



Care must be taken in the selection of the butter, for that 

 sold in commerce under the name of " butter of nutmegs,'' 

 sometimes consists of animal fat boiled with powdered nut- 

 meg, and coloured with sassafras. The specimen may be re- 

 lied on as pretty pure, if it dissolves in four times its weight 

 of strong boiling alcohol, or half that quantity of sether. 



The fat obtained as described above is oxide of glyceril in 

 combination with a fat acid, which, as far as I am aware, has 

 never hitherto been described. It has a beautiful white silky 

 appearance. From this property (which is shared also by 

 the acid derived from it) I propose to call it Sericine (from 

 the Latin word serica), as I am desirous at present to give it 

 no name exclusively applying to its origin; for researches 

 now in progress of being made by another, appear to show 

 that it is not confined to this butter, but also exists in others. 



Sericic Acid. — The acid to which this name is applied, 

 may be obtained by the saponification of serici7ie. The soap 

 must be washed with cold water, in order to free it from the 

 alkali employed in its saponification. It is now to be dissolved 

 in boiling water, and muriatic acid added until the liquid 

 possesses an acid reaction. The sericic acid now separates 

 as a coloui'less oil, which solidifies to a crystalline fat on 

 cooling. It must be washed with water, in order to free it 

 from muriatic acid, and ti)en repeatedly melted in fresh por- 

 tions of pure distilled water. 



Thus obtained, it possesses a snow-white colour and cry- 

 stalline appearance. It is very soluble in hot alcohol, from 

 which it is partly deposited in small crystals on cooling; the 

 remainder may be obtained by further evaporation. Jn hot 

 a;ther it dissolves in considerable quantity, but separates al- 

 most entirely on cooling. When allowed to crystallize slowly 

 from alcohol by spontaneous evaporation, it is semi-transpa- 



