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



II. 4-835 grains of the aether, dried at 212° and burned with 

 oxide of copper, gave 13-645 carbonic acid and 5-850 water. 



III. 4-555 grains of the aether, fused during a quarter of an 

 hour at 212° and burned with chromate of lead and chlorate of 

 potash, gave 12-815 carbonic acid and 5-372 water. 



Experiment. 



100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 312 



These results correspond exceedingly well with the formula 

 C36H85O3 + C4H5O = C4»H''0O4, or the acid combined with one 

 atom of oxide of sethyle. 



Bassiate of Potash. — This salt was prepared by dissolving the 

 acid in an aqueous solution of boiling carbonate of potash, eva- 

 porating to dryness and taking up with strong alcohol, when the 

 carbonate of potash in excess is left behind. The salt on cooling 

 separates as a jelly, which may be freed from alcohol by squeezing. 

 It is then redissolved in alcohol, allowed to cool and squeezed 

 a second time, and the purification is complete. It is exceed- 

 ingly soluble in hot alcohol, from which it separates as a jelly 

 when allowed to cool ; it is also soluble in sether when a very 

 small quantity of alcohol is added, and from this solution cry- 

 stallizes in needles when allowed to evaporate spontaneously. 



Bassiate of Soda. — This salt is prepared in exactly the same 

 manner as the preceding, substituting carbonate of soda for car- 

 bonate of potash. When dry and in masses, it has a shining 

 semi-ci-ystalline appearance ; but when in powder, it is destitute 

 of all appearance of crystallization, even under the microscope. 

 It is insoluble in rethcr, soluble in alcohol, from which it sepa- 

 rates almost entirely as an opake jelly on cooling, scattered 

 through which may sometimes be observed a few minute needle- 

 like crystals ; but my attempts at obtaining a regular crop of 

 crystals were entirely unsuccessful. 



This substance is also soluble in boiling-hot water, from which 

 it again sepai'ates as a jelly on cooling. A large addition of hot 

 water to the solution of this salt causes it to become opake, arising 

 no doubt from decomposition. 



The determinations of soda are as follows : — 



I. 6-33 grains of soda salt, ignited and afterwards treated with 

 sulphuric acid, gave 1-455 sulphate of soda = 10-35 per cent, 

 of soda. 6-225 grains of soda salt, treated as before, gave 1-450 

 sulphate of soda = 10-17 per cent, of soda. — Mean = 1026. 



