282 Notices of the Labours of Continental Chemists. 



Carawai/ Oil — Ethereal Oils. 



MM. Gerhard t and Cahours have made some experiments 

 on sethereal oils. Roman caraway oil (essence de cumin) 

 consists of two oils; one is a hydro-carbon, and boils at 165° 

 C. ; the other consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and is 

 similar to hydro-benzoyl ; they call the hypothetical radical 

 cumyl. 



Hydro-cumyl = C^o H-'^ Q^ -i- H^ 



Cuminic acid = Ox H- O" + O 



Chloride of cumyl = C^" H-'- O^ + Cl^ 



Bromide of cumyl = C-" H'-^ O- -t- Br^ 



Hydrated cuminic acid ... = C-° H'- O' + 0+ H-'O. 



Hydro-cumyl is a colourless or slightly yellow-coloured 

 liquid of strong odoui", is changed by slow distillation, except 

 when the operation is performed in an atmosphere of car- 

 bonic acid. By the absorption of oxygen is converted into 

 cuminic acid ; the metamorphosis takes place more rapidly 

 when it is treated with caustic alkali, in which case hydrogen 

 is evolved. Cuminic acid is colourless, crystallizes in pris- 

 matic needles, scarcely soluble in water, easily in alcohol, 

 may be sublimed, and has an acid burning taste. Hydro- 

 cumyl treated with sulphuric acid and chromate of potash 

 also forms cuminic acid. Hydrated cuminic acid distilled 

 with four parts of caustic baryta gives an aromatic colourless 

 liquid, which boils at 144° C. ; its formula is C"^ H-*; may be 

 called cumen*; with fuming sulphuric acid forms cumensul- 

 phuric acid, which gives a crystallizable salt with baryta. 

 With nitric acid forms nitrocumid, like nitrobenzid. {Anna- 

 len cler Pharmacic, xxxv.) f 



Potatoe-Spirit Oil — Oil of Anise — Oil of Fennel. 



M. Cahours has examined some other oils. Potatoe-spirit 

 oil is converted by perchloride of phosphorus into a fluid, 

 which boils at 102°, and has the formula C'^ H'-- CI- 5 it is the 

 chloride of amyl. Acetate of amilen is decomposed by chlo- 

 rine (in the shade), it is changed into C'oH'" C1^0 + C*H«0'; 

 in sunshine a crystalline substance is formed. Potatoe oil is 

 converted by the action of air and spongy platinum into va- 

 lerianic acid. [A^inalai der Pharmacie, xxxv.) 



Oil of anise. — The solid oil has the formula C-- H-" 0-. 

 The specific gravity of the vapour is 5"68 ; with chlorine 

 forms a fluid compound, C - H-" CI' 0-, with bromine a cry- 

 stalline one, 0-- H* BrG O^. With dilute nitric acid of 20° B 



* May not Cumen be identical with Mesitylene ? Their boiling points 

 differ very little, — 276° and 287°, — and their composition is the same. — 

 R. K. 



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