262 Researches respecting the radical of Benzoic Acid. 



ies, by the property, first rightly investigated by Stange, of being con- 

 verted in the air, by the absorption of oxygen, into an acid, into the 

 benzoic acid, and which appeared to lay claim to the highest inter- 

 est from the manner in which it arises from bodies apparently so 

 different. Another peculiarity, which long since drew the attention 

 of chemists and pharmaceutists to the oil, is its containing prussic acid, 

 whose presence seems to bear fixed relations to the nature of the oil. 

 Among the many researches to which these properties have given 

 rise, we mention only the latest by Robiquet and Boutron-Charlard.* 

 As one of the facts most worthy of remark, they observe in their es- 

 say, that the fluid oil of bitter almonds, as a whole has its constituents 

 in the almonds and appears to proceed from these constituents first 

 by the action of water. For by the use of alcohol, it disappears 

 altogether and can then in general be no more produced from the 

 almonds ; but in place of it they obtained a crystallizable body, 

 formerly unknown to exist and which appeared to them to be the 

 only cause of the peculiar bitter taste of the almonds, and one of the 



We 



t 



say, the consideration of the question, whether this oil exists ready 

 formed in the almond, or is generated in the course of the produ- 

 cing process from the fixed constituents, — and a closer examination of 

 amygdalin and its connection with the supposed generation of the oil. 

 The clearing up of this point must be made the subject of particular 

 experiments. To fix firmly the station from which the inquiry took 

 its rise, we make the general remark beforehand, that in consequence 

 of our experiments, we believe that there is a body composed of 

 three elements, always remaining the same in its behavior towards 

 other agents, and which can be considered not alone as the radical 

 of benzoic acid, but at the same time as the root perhaps with slight 

 variations of a multitude of similar combinations. But here we 



* Annates de Chimie ct de Physique, Vol. xliv. 352. 



i In the same essay, Messrs. Robiquet and Boutron-Charlard, express their con- 

 viction of the preexistence of benzoic in hippuric acid; now the chief reason on 

 which they rely is an evident error in the Annales de Chemie, V. 43. p. 197, thus 

 instead of saying * Si Ton cesse de chauffer au moment meme qu'on sent les vapeurs 

 sulphureuses qu'on mele la masse noire avec de Peau ei qu'on la fasse bouilui" avec 

 de la chaux, Pacide hydrochlorique en separe ensuite de Pacide benzoique," it should 

 read, " n'en separe point ensuite de Pacide benzoique." 



The conclusion as drawn from the unrectified phrase, is in itself contradictory; 

 and this caused the correctness of the sentence to be questioned, which the German 

 copy would have confirmed. 



