OLEIC ACID. 113 



carbon, carbonic acid, and carbo-hydrogens, but capric and caprylic 

 acids, and especially sebacic acid. Finally, on treating oleic acid with 

 hyponitric acid, the whole mass becomes solid and converted into 

 elaidic acid. By prolonged treatment with nitric acid, oleic acid 

 yields (according to Laurent* and Bromeisf) the acids of the suc- 

 cinic acid group (C n H n _ 2 O 3 .HO) namely, suberic, adipic, pimelic, 

 and lipic acid, and, besides these, cenanthylic acid, but no oxalic acid. 

 With fuming nitric acid it yields, on the other hand, according to 

 Redtenbacher J almost all the acids of the first group (C n H n _ 1 O 3 .HO) . 



In the oily products of the dry distillation of oleic acid 

 Schneider found that the atoms of carbon were to those of 

 hydrogen in the ratio of 6 : 5 ; and on treating these products with 

 concentrated nitric acid, he obtained the same volatile acids which 

 Redtenbacher obtained by the direct action of nitric acid on oleic 

 cid. 



Composition. According to the above formula this acid con- 

 ains : 



Carbon .... .... 36 atoms .... 



Hydrogen .... 33 



Oxygen .... 3 



Water 1 



100-000 



The atomic weight of the hypothetical anhydrous acid = 34 12*5 ; 

 its saturating capacity=2'930. 



Combinations. The oleates are soft and greasy, and do not 

 crystallise; like all the fatty acids, oleic acid has a strong ten- 

 dency to form acid as well as basic salts. The neutral oleate of 

 lead is a white powder which fuses at 80 into a yellow fluid, and 

 is distinguished, by its solubility in boiling ether, from the lead- 

 salts of all the solid fatty acids. 



Products of its Metamorphosis. Gottlieb, || who was the first to 

 obtain pure oleic acid, and who, from his analyses, deduced the 

 above formula, states that at an ordinary temperature, and when 

 freely exposed to the atmosphere, this acid absorbs about 20 times 

 its volume of oxygen, without developing carbonic acid. The thick 

 fluid acid which is thus formed, and which now reddens litmus, 



* Ann. d. Chim. et de Phys. T. 66, pp. 154-204. 

 f Ann. d. Ch. u. Pharm. Bd. 35, S. 86-103. 

 t Ibid. Bd. 59,8.41-57. 

 Ibid. Bd. 70,.S. 107-121. 

 II Ibid. Bd. 57,"s. 37-67. 



