428 M. Boullay on the Sweet Almond. [June, 



From these and other facts which were ascertained by M. 

 Vogel, he draws the following conclusions. 



That 100 parts of bitter almonds contain the following ingre- 

 dients : 



Envelope 8-5 



Fat oil 28-0 



Caseous matter 30-0 



Sugar G*-5 



Gum 30 



Vegetable fibre 5 - 



i±eavy volatile oil 



Prussic acid 



That the emulsion of bitter almonds has a rery great analogy 

 with animal milk ; that many seeds and fruits, besides almonds, 

 contain the same caseous matter ; that the emulsions are coagu- 

 lable by acids, alcohol, heat, and electricity ; that the bitterness 

 of the "almond resides principally in its volatile parts, i. e. the 

 prussic acid and the essential oil ; that the essential oil may be 

 obtained separate from the prussic acid, and that it will commu- 

 nicate to water the odour and taste of prussic acid, without 

 giving it the property of forming prussian blue with iron ; that 

 the essential oil rectiiied with barytes, lime, or the red oxide of 

 mercury loses its fluidity by the contact of the air, and gradually 

 assumes the state of white crystals, which are almost without 

 smell, and less volatile than the fluid oil. 



We have subjoined M. Boullay's analysis of the sweet almond, 

 both as a confirmation of M. Vogel's very interesting analysis, 

 and in order that the clear priority of discovery, that the emulsive 

 seeds contain not starch but albumen, may remain with M. 

 Vogel. — Ed. 



Analysis of the Sweet Almond (Amugdalus Communis). By M. 



Boullay.* 



The almonds were first exposed to a heat of about 1 20° of 

 Fahrenheit during a space of three days, in order to drive off any 

 water which they might contain. They were then immersed in 

 hot water for the purpose of detaching the cuticle, and after- 

 wards made into an emulsion with water. The emulsion, by 

 standing for some time, threw up a cream to the surface and 

 deposited a residuum ; these, as well as the fluid itself, were all 

 separately examined. The cream was a compound of oil and a 

 coagulable matter ; the same kind of coagulum was obtained 

 from the fluid part, and principally composed the residuum ; 

 these coagula were both mixed with portions of the oil. When 



» Abridged from Journ. Pharm. Aug. 1817 : the same paper ia likewise inserted 

 in Add. Chim. Dec. 1817. 



