Mr. W. Crowder on the Fatty Acid of Cocculus indicus. 23 



of lead, and then succeeded in obtaining results closely correspond- 

 ing to the calculated numbers. The foUowing were the results :— 



I. 4-49 grams of acid, burned with oxide of copper alone, gave 

 13-49 carbonic acid and 5*35 water. 



II 4-315 grains of acid, burned'with oxide of copper and 

 chlorate of potash, gave 12-080 carbonic acid and 5-455 water. 



III. 4-345 grains of acid, burned with chromate of lead and 

 chlorate of potash, gave 12-165 carbonic acid and 5-088 water. 



Experiment. 



j y ^ Calculation. 



T 11. III. ( ^ ^ 



Carbon . 75-86 76-33 76-34 76-05 C^ 216 



Hydi-ogen 13-22 14-04 13-01 12-67 H^^ 36 



Oxygen . 10-92 9-63 10-65 11-28 0^^ 32 



100-00 100-00 100-00 10000 284 



In No. II. the hydrogen is evidently too high, arising from the 

 necessity of mixing the substance with the oxide nearly cold. 

 These results agree sufficiently well with the formula C^U.^0'^, 

 which is that of bassic acid, and were further confirmed by the 

 analysis of its aether. 



Bassic yEther.— This compound was prepared by passmg a 

 cun-ent of dry hydrochloric acid gas into a solution of the 

 acid in alcohol, taking care to keep the fluid quite hot during 

 the first part of the operation, since the acid would otherwise 

 crystallize out. After the lapse of some time an oily and colom-- 

 less liquid floats to the top, which on cooling concretes into a 

 brittle crystalline mass. This is the aether which must be washed 

 with water to free it from hydrochloric acid, and crystallized from 

 alcohol once or twice to free it entirely from any adhering fatty 

 acid. It IS moderately soluble in hot alcohol, very sparingly so 

 in the cold, and is deposited from its hot alcoholic solution upon 

 cooling in needles. It fuses at 92°, and is slightly volatile when 

 kept in the water-bath at 212°. It is without smell, and when 

 placed on the tongue it melts, producing a slight sensation of 



cold. 11- 



The same difficulty of combustion was observed in burning 

 this substance as in the case of the acid. Of six combustions 

 made with oxide of copper alone, only two gave the theoretical 

 result for the carbon, the other four gave numbers evidently too 

 low. I therefore made one combustion with chromate of lead 

 and chlorate of potash, in order to control the two analyses which 

 gave higher per-centages of carbon. 

 The following are the details : — 



I. 4-230 grains of the a;thcr, dried in vacuo and burned with 

 oxide of copper, gave 11-945 carbonic acid and 5 000 water. 



