282 M. Chevreul on Fatty Bodies, and [Oct. 



treated with alcohol of the specific gravity of "791 ; this being 

 evaporated, left 0*562 of a sweetish syrup, containing the sweet 

 principle, a little matter having the smell of leather, and an 

 orange-coloured principle, which existed in the oil before it was 

 saponified ; for at the instant that the water of potash came into 

 contact with the oil, its colour was converted into a brownish 

 orange, even before the saponification had commenced. Hence 

 the following conclusion is drawn, that the colouring principle, 

 which is found in the aqueous fluid, is not produced by the 

 action of the alkali, but that it is simply set at liberty, and that 

 it afterwards unites with the potash, which renders the presence 

 of it more obvious, by forming with it a compound of a deeper 

 colour. The greatest part of the colouring principle remained in 

 the aqueous fluid, for the saponified fat had scarcely any colour. 

 The product of the distillation of the aqueous fluid was neutral- 

 ized by the hydrate of crystallized bary tes ; being then evaporated 

 to dryness, it left 1*73 of a dry residuum, composed of acid 

 0*937, and of barytes 0-793. This acid was named the delphinic 

 acid. 



The fatty matter was then examined. At the temperature of 

 68°, a small portion of the fatty matter was congealed ; and at 

 50°, the greatest part of it, whilst the other part was perfectly 

 fluid : it had a light yellow colour. The warm water with which 

 it had been agitated had removed from it its odour of fish and 

 of leather, and there only remained the rancid smell of the sapo- 

 nified fat. Its specific gravity at 68° was -892 : it was very 

 acid : 100 parts of it boiled with portions of water which con- 

 tained respectively 13*53 parts of potash and 9*5 of soda, pro- 

 duced solutions which were not perfectly limpid. 



The fatty matter weighed 3*3 parts ; it was digested with 

 water of barytes in excess ; it was evaporated to dryness, and 

 the residuum was treated with cold alcohol of the specific 

 gravity of -791. By this means there was produced 0*715 of a 

 white fat, fusible at 82*5°, which did not redden the tincture of 

 litmus, and soluble in cold alcohol ; and 2*585 parts of an acid 

 fat, which remained in combination with the baiytes, and which 

 had not been dissolved by the alcohol. This acid fat began to 

 congeal at 7 1*5°, and at 59° appeared quite solid. 



In order to know more accurately the nature of the products 

 which have been described, 40 parts of the oil of the Delphinus 

 were saponified, and the soap was decomposed by tartaric acid. 

 The aqueous Jiuid was distilled, the product of the distillation 

 containing the delphinic acid was neutralized by water of 

 barytes, and then evaporated to dryness : the properties of the 

 delphinic acid and its combination with barytes will be more 

 minutely described hereafter. The fatty matter which was 

 separated from the potash by the tartaric acid formed with the 

 water of potash a solution which was almost transparent, from 

 which a very brilliant pearly matter was precipitated : when this 

 was collected upon a filter, a glairy matter was obtained, which 



