THE 

 LONDON, EDINBURGH and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



[THIRD SERIES.] 



JUNE 1841. 



LXVII. On some of the Products of the Action of Nitric Acid 

 on Castor Oil. By Thomas George Tilley*. 



T^HE action of nitric acid on the fat acids is a subject that 

 has been lately investigated by Laurent f and Bromeis:}:, 

 and the interesting results obtained by them having called the 

 attention of chemists to the subject, I was induced, at the sug- 

 gestion of Professor Liebig, to examine in his laboratory the 

 products of the oxidation of the oil of Ricinus Communis, dif- 

 fering as it does in such a remarkable degree from the other 

 fixed oils. 



One part of this oil was accordingly mixed with twice its 

 weight of nitric acid diluted with an equal bulk of water, and 

 subjected to a gende heat in a retort. The parts which di- 

 stilled over were preserved. After some time the action be- 

 came very violent, and gas was formed in such quantities as 

 to expel the contents of the retort forcibly from its mouth. 

 The retort must then be i-emoved from the fire, when the ac- 

 tion gradually subsides. When again placed on the fire, pro- 

 tected by a sand-bath, the action is not so violent. The pro- 

 cess of oxidation must be continued for some days, more or 

 less, according to the strength of the nitric acid employed. 

 When the quantity of nitrous acid fumes decreases, the retort 

 is removed from the fire. In the receiver are found nitric 

 acid, water, and a peculiar volatile oily acid, which new com- 

 pound will form the subject of the following pages. If the 



* Read before the Chemical Society, April 27, 1841. Conimunicateil by 

 the Society. 



+ yinn. de Clam, et de Pki/s., Ixvi. 



X Anmilen dcr Pliarmaclc, xxxv. p. 80'. [Noticeti in L., E. and D. Phil. 

 Mag. for February, pres. vol. p. 115.] 



Phil. Mag, S. 3. Vol. 18. No. 119. Ju?ic ISil. 2 E 



