the Action of Nitric Acid on Castor Oil. 4' 2 1 



which gives the following theoretical numbers: 



Per cent. 



U atoms Carbon =1070-09 42-98 



13 „ Hydrogen = 16223 6-51 



3 „ Oxygen = 30000 1207 



1 „ Oxide of barium = 956-88 38-4-4. 



2479-20 100-00 



It will be seen by the preceding numbers that an excess of 

 carbon is found ; but this may be accounted for by the high 

 temperature required to burn the last particles of carbon, by 

 which some of the carbonic acid might have been driven off 

 from the carbonate of baryta in the combustion tube. 



The formula for this salt is one atom oenanthylic acid and 

 one atom oxide of barium, or C'* H'^ O^ + Ba O. 



(Enanthylate of Potash is obtained by neutralizing the car- 

 bonate of that alkali by oenanthylic acid; it does not crystal- 

 lize, but, on evaporation, assumes the form of a thick trans- 

 parent jelly. 



The Copfer Salt crystallizes in beautiful needles of a rich 

 green colour, soluble in alcohol, and sparingly so in water. 



The (Enanthylate of Strontian appears in the form of bright 

 pearly scales, very much resembling the analogous salt of 

 baryta. 



It will at once be perceived by the analyses which liave 

 been given, that the composition of anhydrous oenanthylic acid 

 is C'* H'^ O', and it enters as such into the following com- 

 binations : 



CEnanthylate of water C'^H'^Os + H^O 



„ oxide of ffithyl. C'^ H'^ O^ + O H • O 



„ „ barium C'* H's O^ + Ba O 



„ „ silver . C'+H'^O^ + AgO. 



Now it was discovered some time ago that wine owes its 

 peculiar smell to a certain acid in combination with oxide of 

 sethyl. To this acid Liebig and Pelouze, its discoverers, gave 

 the name oenanthic acid (flower of wine). CEnanthic acid has 

 the following composition, C" H'^ O- + aq. 



The analogy between this acid and the one described in this 

 paper will at once be seen, and the composition of the two 

 acids would lead us to suppose that they are oxides of the 

 same radical, which may for the present be considered as com- 

 posed of C'^ H'^; while the two acids are respectively 

 R + 2 O 

 R + 30. 

 On these grounds I have given the liigher oxide the name 

 (Enanthylic acid, and propose for the lower oxide, that of 



