Mr. W. Crowder on the Fatty Acid of Cocculus indicus. 27 



Experiment. 



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a was bui-ned with, chromate of lead ; b was burned with oxide 

 of copper ; the excess of hydrogen arose from an accident in the 

 laboratory during the time of mLxing. The formula of this sub- 

 stance agrees quite well with C^H^^O^ + AgO. 



The evidence of this substance being bassic acid appears by 

 the preceding experiments to be in evei*y way complete, and also 

 exceedingly interesting, since the occurrence of the acid has been 

 clearly made out in two entirely distinct natural orders of plants. 

 Possibly, by a more rigorous search among the acids contained 

 in the fatty matters of plants, this substance vi^ill be found to be 

 much more widely distributed than has hitherto been supposed ; 

 and thus the loose statements of the occurrence of stearic acid in 

 vegetables, without any analysis appended, may be proved incor- 

 rect by demonstrating the existence of bassic acid instead. 



Besides the acid just described, the fat contains a very consi- 

 derable proportion of oleic acid, or at all events of an oily acid, 

 and a quantity of another fatty acid which I have not attempted 

 to isolate, but which appears to be the same as one also observed 

 by Mr. Hardwicke in Bassia latifolia. He says, that in the fat 

 of that plant there are two acids present, viz. bassic acid, and 

 another having a melting-point between 132° and 134°; and 

 that if a drop of an alcoholic solution of this last acid be allowed 

 to evaporate on the surface of a glass plate so as to form a thin 

 film, it presents, on solidifying, the curious appearance of a series 

 of concentric rings, which may not unaptly be compared to a 

 section of bone under the microscope ; and that this appearance 

 is also seen when the bassic acid is impure, but it disappears 

 when completely purified. 



These appearances have been observed by myself in the acid 

 from Cocculus indicus when it has been melted in the water-bath 

 and allowed to cool ; and from it I conclude that the specimen 

 must have been contaminated with the acid melting at 132° to 

 134°, and the formula of which is cither C'^IP^O'*, the missing 

 member of the fatty series, or that of palmitic acid, C^^H^'^0'*. 



