301 



AMY'GDALUS. 



AMYL. 



302 



Liebig and Wohler. It is met with in bitter almonds, the leaves o: 

 the cherry laurel, the kernels of peaches, and is probably also con 

 taiued in all those parts of vegetables which yield hydrocyanic acic 

 when distilled with water. 



Amygdalin is prepared as follows : Bitter almonds are strongly 

 pressed between hot plates of iron, so as to expel the fixed oil thei 

 contain. The resulting mass is extracted with boiling alcohol of 9( 

 or 95 per cent., and to the filtered and clarified alcoholic solution 

 evaporated to one-sixth its volume, is added half its bulk of ether 

 which precipitates the whole of the amygdaliu. The precipitate is 

 finally washed with ether and purified by recrystalllsation from 

 alcohol. Four pounds of bitter almonds yield about an ounce of 

 amygdalin. 



Amygdalin crystallises in white pearly plates, which are very 

 slightly soluble in cold, but easily soluble in boiling absolute alcohol 

 It dissolves readily in water, but is insoluble in ether. Ita aqueous 

 solution possesses a slightly bitter taste. The most interesting 

 property of amygdalin is, that when its solution is placed in contacl 

 with emutgin, it is transformed by a species of fermentation into hydro- 

 cyanic acid, hydride of benzoyl (essential oil of bitter almonds), anc 

 grape sugar. 



C t .H 17 N-0,^+nO = C.HN + C..H.O, + 2C 1!1 H 1 ,O 12 . 



Amygdalin. Hydrocyanic Hydride of Grain; sugar. 



Acid. Benzoyl. 



Bitter almonds contain both amygdalin and emulsin, and, therefore, 

 when treated with water they yield the well known essential oil mixed 

 with hydrocyanic acid; but sweet almonds contain emulsin and no 

 amygdalin, and consequently do not yield these products when macerated 

 with water. 



AMY'GDALUS Medical Properties of. Amyydalus communis, a tree 

 native of Asia and Africa, cultivated in the southern parts of Europe, 

 of which there are two varieties, sweet and bitter. Of the sweet 

 almonds, the parts which are officinal are the seeds or kernels. When 

 covered with the skin, these are of a clove-brown colour, smooth, with 

 vessels traversing the skin, and forming a raphe. Deprived of the 

 skin, the egg-shaped seed, formed of two cotyledons, is seen of a white 

 colour. They have a sweet and mucilaginous, rather oily taste, and 

 scarcely any odour when fresh but when spoiled a disagreeable rancid 

 taste. 



Analysed by Boullay, they yielded emulsin, and a fat oil of a very 

 bland kind. Ten pounds of seeds yield four pounds of oil. Upon being 

 subjected to pressure, or treated by means of ether, the oil is separated, 

 and there remains the cake, or farina amygdaUe. The commercial 

 varieties are numerous, but the most esteemed are the Jordan 

 almonds. 



Triturated with water, sweet almonds form a grateful, sweetish 

 emulsion, which possesses considerable nutritious as well as demulcent 

 properties. This emulsion should never be prepared long before it is 

 required for use, and should always be made with sweet almonds. 

 Almond-paste forms a good emollient application to chapped hands in 

 winter. 



' Almonds, as an article of dessert, are nutritive, but rather indigestible. 

 In some persons they occasion more particularly bitter almonds an 

 eruption similar to nettle-rash, and other troublesome symptoms. 



Oil ofAlmondi. The almonds having been freed from the skins, must 

 be bruised, and pressed in the cold, or, if warmed, they must be pressed 

 in iron presses. The oil when first obtained is turbid, but becomes pure 

 by time or by nitration. It is yellowish, or nearly white, if the almonds 

 have been completely freed from the skins before being pressed, trans- 

 lucent, and when cold-drawn is without odour. The taste is purely 

 oily. Specific gravity, 0-911 to 0-920. Consists of, elain 75 ; stearin 25. 

 i fluid at the ordinary temperature of the air, and rarely or never 

 becomes turbid or white. Alcohol when cold takes up l-25th part. 

 Sulphuric ether and the volatile oils combine with it in every pro- 

 portion. Caustic potash forms with it a very solid soap. When it has 

 been carefully expressed, it does not become rancid so easily as is 

 believed. 



It may be obtained from either, variety, but is yielded in greatest 

 abundance by the bitter almond : 10 Ibs. of sweet, when cold-drawn 

 yield from 4 to 4j Ibs. ; 16 Ibs. of bitter almonds yield 7 Ibs. 



Almonds which have become rancid yet yield by expression good oil, 

 if a little calcined magnesia be added to the bruised almonds before 

 being subjected to pressure. 



Almond oil is often adulterated with poppy oil. It is employed more 

 as an external application, especially to the ears, than internally. It is 

 also used for hair oil 



Amyydal. Amaru, bitter almonds, are smaller and flatter than the 

 Those most esteemed come from Provence ; those least esteemed 

 from Barbary. They have a very bitter taste, and scarcely any odour, 

 but if rubbed between the fingers with a little water, they emit a pecu- 

 :arly agreeable odour. Triturated with water, they form an emulsion, 

 which by distillation yields a volatile oil, containing hydrocyanic acid 

 This oil is procured in very variable quantity ; 1 Ib. of almonds yield- 

 ing m some instances 1 drachm, in others only 50 grains, in others onlv 

 10 grains. 



A fat or fixed oil is also contained, which may be procured by 



expression. Hence, in the Pharmacopoeia, Oleum amygdalarum is 

 directed to be expressed from the kernels of either variety. For the 

 sake of economy, this fixed oil is first procured, and the cake which 

 remains is employed either to yield the volatile oil containing hydro- 

 cyanic acid or to furnish amygdalin. 



The essential oil of bitter almonds is prepared by distilling the emul- 

 sion of bitter almonds. 



It is sold in different degrees of dilution to cooks, confectioners, and 

 others, to flavour cakes and liqueurs, under the name of essence of 

 ratafia, peach-essence, &c. (See ' Lancet,' June 8, 1844 ; and ' The 

 Chemist,' vol. v. p. 335.) From its indiscriminate use, as well as 

 variable strength, many fatal cases result from it. It is also used as a 

 criminal means of destroying life. [AMYGDALIN; BENZOYL, HYDRIDE OF.] 



AMYL (C' H) or (' f " } ). A compound radical, discovered by 



FranMand. It is procured by the action of zinc on iodide of arnyl. 

 It is an oily liquid, boiling at a temperature of 311 Fahr., and 

 is homologous with methyl, ethyl, &c. Its compounds form a series 

 of highly interesting bodies, resembling those containing ethyl and 

 methyl. 



The following are some of the most important of these compounds : 



ffydrated oxide of amyl (Amylic alcohol) f C ' ^" j A This body, 



from which amyl and all its compounds are derived, is formed along 

 with common alcohol during the fermentation of the mash of potato 

 starch, and the starch of common grains. The process of its formation 

 under these circumstances is not well understood, although it undoubt- 

 edly depends on some peculiar conditions of the fermentation. It is 

 on account of its being obtained from the decomposition of starch 

 (Amylum) that it has obtained its name. The latter portions of the 

 alcohol produced in the distillation of these fermented matters contain 

 an oil separable by water and termed Fusel oil, the greater portion of 

 which consists of amylic alcohol. It is the occurrence of this oil in 

 crude distilled spirits that gives them a part of their noxious qualities, 

 and it is the object of the distiller to prevent the development of fusel 

 oil. When fusel oil is submitted to distillation, its boiling point gradually 

 rises until it reaches 270" F., at which point it then frequently remains 

 stationary during the remainder of the distillation. The portion of the 

 fusel oil distilling at 270 is pure hydrated oxide of. amyl. It is a 

 colourless, somewhat oily liquid, almost insoluble in water, and boiling 

 at a temperature of 270". It has a powerful odour, which is very un- 

 pleasant, and produces when inhaled a sense of suffocation. Its taste 

 is nauseous and acrid. When heated in contact with potash, hydrogen 

 is given off, and valeric acid is formed, which unites with the potash. 

 Distilled with a mixture of dilute sulphuric acid and bichromate of 

 potash, it also yields valeric acid, 



CioH,,0, + 0, = C 10 H 1() 4 



Amylic alcohol. 



Valeric acid. 



and is now the source of the salts of this acid used in medicine. When 

 heated with dry phosphoric acid, it yields the carbo-hydrogen C 10 H 10 , 

 which is isomeric with olefiant gas, and which is known by the name 

 of Amylene or Valerene. This substance has lately obtained some 

 repute/since it has been administered in common with chloroform 

 and ether as an anesthetic. [ANESTHETICS; MATERIA MEDICA; 

 ALCOHOLS.] 



Iodide of Amyl (C^H,,!). This compound is formed by distilling 

 together a mixture of 10 parts of amylic alcohol, 12 parts of iodine, 

 and H parts of phosphorus. The product, after being washed with 

 water, and then dried over chloride of calcium, is again submitted 

 to rectification, a thermometer being inserted through the tubulure 

 of the retort. That portion which distils over whilst the thermo- 

 meter stands at 295 F. is pure iodide of amyl, and must be collected 

 apart. 



Iodide of amyl is a colourless and transparent liquid, refracting light 

 strongly, possessing a slight ethereal odour and a pungent taste. Its 

 specific gravity is 1-511. It boils at 295 F. Exposed to direct sun- 

 light, it gradually becomes brown from the separation of free iodine. 

 It is decomposed by an alcoholic solution of potash, amylic alcohol 

 being reproduced. 



c ioH,,I + KO, HO 



+ KI. 



Iodide of amyl. Hydrate of Amylic alcohol. Iodide of 

 potash. potassium. 



Heated with amalgam of zinc to 356" F., in a strong sealed glass tube, 

 it gives amyl, hydride of amyl, auiylene, and iodide of zinc. Heated to 

 212" F. with alcoholic solution of ammonia, it yields amylamine. 



The following are the names and formulas of the remaining more 

 mportant compounds of amyl : 



Oxide of amyl .... CjgHuO, Ci H 11 O 



Chloride of amyl CujHuCl 



Bromide of amyl C ln H 1 iBr 



Sulphide of amyl C^H^S 



Amylamine C 10 H, 3 N 



Diamylamlne C, Hj S N 



Triamylamine C, H,,N 



