326 Mr. Scanlanon a Volatile Oil from Soap Ley. [May, 



Article II. 



On a Volatile Oil, possessing peculiar Properties, obtained from 

 Soap Ley. By M. Scanlan, Esq.* 



In making iodine from " Soaper's Salt Ley," as recommended 

 by Dr. Ure, ] obtained a substance not mentioned by him, and 

 which could not have escaped his notice, did the " brown iodic 

 liquor " employed by that chemist afford it. 



The soap makers here sell their salt ley to persons who evapo- 

 rate it, separate the muriate of potash, by crystallization, for the 

 alum makers, and when an abundant crop of crystals is no longer 

 afforded, the mother liquor, which contains hydriodate of soda^ 

 is run down to dryness, mixed with coal ashes, and fused in a 

 reverberatory furnace. This forms the black ash which is again 

 employed in the manufacture of soap. It is this mother liquor 

 on which I operated; it is loaded with animal matter which is 

 not entirely separated from it by considerable excess of acid. 



In the process for obtaining iodine, from this hquor, there 

 distils over a dense oily fluid, of a deep-black colour, immiscible 

 with, and heavier than the acid liquor that rises at the same 

 time. This is the substance in question, saturated with iodine, 

 a large quantity of which it dissolves as it distils. When freed 

 from loosely adhering iodine and washed with water, it has 

 specific gravity 1'39; and rolls about under water with the mo- 

 bility of mercury. A drop of it in this state, brought to a large 

 surface of water, spreads rapidly over it, and instantly evaporates. 

 Exposed to air on a plane of glass, it evaporates more slowly, 

 the iodine disappearing first. Submitted to distillation, iodine 

 rises first, but is again dissolved by the oily liquor, as it distils. 

 It is soluble in alcohol at "850, in every proportion, from which 

 it is separated by water, apparently unchanged. 



Potash water separates the iodine; forming iodate and hydrio- 

 date of potash, the solution of the latter holds dissolved a portion 

 of the oily substance. 



Frequent agitation, for a few hours, in contact with iron 

 filings and water, also separates the iodine ; and the resulting 

 hydriodate takes up some of the oily matter. 



Digested upon iron filings without water, the iodine disap- 

 pears, but more slowly ; and crystals are deposited, which I 

 suppose to be iodide of iron. In neither case is there any per- 

 ceptible elevation of temperature. 



Freed from iodine, by potash water, the colour of this oily 

 matter is yellow ; when tasted, the first impression is cinnamon- 

 sweet, afterwards penetrating and stimulant. In this state it is 



* Dublin Philosophical Journal. • - 



