1818.] their Combinations with Alkalies. 287 



We now come to the third part of the memoir, which treats of 

 the common fish oil of the shops. 



It was of an orange brown colour, its odour a compound of 

 that of fish and leather prepared with oil, its specific gravity was 

 •927 at the temperature of 68°. It remained fluid during several 

 hours at 132° ; but after having been exposed for some days to 

 this temperature, a fatty concrete matter was deposited, which 

 was in very small quantity only, and was separated by filtration. 



The oil that was left, after the separation of the concrete 

 fatty matter, was not acid by the test of litmus paper : 100 parts 

 of alcohol, of the specific gravity of '795, dissolved 122 parts of 

 the oil at the temperature of 167°; the solution began to be 

 turbid at 145 # 5° ; it was not acid. It was treated with potash, 

 when placed under mercury out of the contact of the air : the 

 sweet principle and an acid fat were produced, but no carbonic 

 acid. 



Two hundred parts were saponified by 120 parts of potash 

 dissolved in 400 parts of water : the saponification was easily 

 effected, and the soap, which was of a brown colour, was com- 

 pletely dissolved by cold water. It was decomposed by tartaric 

 acid, and there was obtained, 1. An aqueous fluid ; and 2. A 

 saponified oil. These two substances were each of them exa- 

 mined. 



1 . The aqueous fluid was of a deep brownish yellow colour, 

 and had the smell of leather. It was distilled, and the residuum was 

 evaporated, and then treated with alcohol ; the alcohol dissolved 

 a sweet principle which was of a yellow colour, and had a very 

 pleasant flavour. The product of the distillation was acid ; it 

 perceptibly held in solution an aromatic principle which had the 

 odour of leather. It was neutralized by the water of baiytes, and 

 then distilled : the product was without smell. The residuum 

 weighed 0*3 ; it was the proper delphinate, from which the 

 delphinic acid might be obtained by means of the phosphoric 

 acid. With respect to quantity, this residuum was very differ- 

 ent from that which was obtained from the oil of the Delphinus. 



2 The saponijiedfish oil had more tendency to crystallize than 

 the oil in its natural state. It was soluble in all proportions in 

 alcohol of *821 ; its solution contained the margaric and oleic 

 acids : 100 parts of this oil, when heated, were completely dis- 

 solved by portions of water which contained respectively 13*45 

 parts of potash and 9* 15 of soda. 



Twenty parts of the saponified oil were boiled with the water of 

 of barytes ; the soap that was formed was treated with alcohol, but 

 scarcely any of the fatty matter which was not acid was procured. 

 The saponified oil was treated with a hot solution of potash, a little 

 more than was sufficient to dissolve it : the soap was diluted with 

 water ; and after remaining some time at rest, a pearli/ matter 

 and an oleate were formed, which were successively examined. 

 The successive action of the water of potash much diluted 



