104 ALOE . 



poisonous, owing to the presence of hydrocyanic acid. See BKXZOIC ACID, 

 BENZOLE, &c. 



AJUtXOWD OIL, SWEET. A bland fixed oil, obtained by expression from 

 bitter or sweet almonds usually from the former, on account of their cheapness as 

 well as the greater value of the residual cake. The average produce is from 48 to 

 62 Ibs. from 1 cwt. of almonds. 



This is commonly known as Oil of sweet almonds, the Oleum Amygdala of the 

 Pharmacopoeia. When first obtained it is opaque, and of a yellow colour ; but it 

 speedily becomes quite transparent, and is bleached by exposure to light. This oil 

 has a bland taste, and does not congeal at a temperature which solidifies olive-oil. 

 It is often sold for nut-oil, which is supposed to possess this property of remaining 

 fluid in an eminent degree. 



AXiMOVD POWDER (farina amygdala) is the ground almond cake after the 

 oil has been expressed ; it is employed for washing the hands, and it is used by chemists 

 as a lute to connect the parts of their distillatory apparatus together. 



AXiOX:. (Aloes, Fr. ; Aloe, Ger.) In botany a genus of the order LUiacea. 

 There are many species, all natives of warm climates. 



In Africa the leaves of the Guinea aloe are made into durable ropes. Of one species 

 are made lines, bowstrings, stockings, and hammocks ; the leaves of another species 

 are used to hold rain-water. A series of trials has boon made, within a few years, in 

 Paris, to ascertain the comparative strength of cables made of hemp and of the aloe 

 from Algiers ; and they are said to have all turned to the advantage of the aloe. Of 

 cables of equal size, that made of aloe raised a weight of 2,000 kilogrammes (2 

 tons nearly), that made of hemp a weight of only 400 kilogrammes. The fibre of the 

 aloe is used extensively in Belgium for the ropes used for winding the coal from the 

 very deep coal-pits of Charleroi. The Belgium engineers state that they could not 

 raise the coal with equal facility and safety with any other kind of rope. 



The following varieties of the inspissated juices of the Aloe called ALOES, and 

 often BITTEE ALOES are known in commerce : Socotrine, Hepatic, Barbadoes, Cape, 

 Mocha, Catalline, and Indian. The Socotrine Aloes are regarded as the best kind, 

 but that from Barbadoes is the most abundant, and much of it is sold as Socotrine. 

 The Barbadoes Aloes are imported from Barbadoes or Jamaica, usually in gourds 

 weighing from 60 to 70 pounds, but sometimes in boxes holding about half a hundred- 

 weight. 



It is believed that Socotrine aloes are obtained from 'Aloe Socotrina, Barbadoes aloes 

 from A. vulaaris, Cape aloes from A. spicata and its allies, and Indian aloes from A. 

 Indica; but the botanical source of some of the commercial varieties of aloes is not 

 definitely known. 



A patent was taken (January 27, 1847) for certain applications of aloes to dyeing. 

 Although it has not been employed, the colouring matter so 'obtained promising to bo 

 very permanent and intense, it is thought advisable to" describe the process by which 

 it was proposed to prepare the dye. It is as follows : 



Into a boiler or vessel capable of holding about 100 gallons, the patentee puts 10 

 gallons of water, and 132 Ibs. of aloes, and heats the sapio until the aloes are dissolved ; 

 he then adds 80 Ibs. of nitric or nitrous acid in small proportions at a time, to pro- 

 vent the disengagement of such a quantity of nitrous gas as would throw part of the 

 contents out of the boiler. When the whole of the acid has been introduced, and the 

 disengagement of gas has ceased, 10 Ibs. of liquid caustic soda, or potash of commerce, 

 of about 30, are added to neutralise any undecomposod acid remaining in the mix- 

 ture, and to facilitate the use of the mixture in dyeing and printing. If the colouring 

 matter is required to bo in a dry state, the mixture may bo incorporated with 100 Ibs. 

 of china-clay, and dried in stoves, or by means of a current of air. The colouring 

 matter is used in dyeing by dissolving a sufficient quantity of wafor, according to the 

 shade required, and adding as much hydrochloric 'acid or tartar of commerce as will 

 neutralise the alkali contained in the mixture, and leave the dye-"bath slightly acidu- 

 lated. The articles to bo dyed are introduced into the bath, which is kept boiling 

 until the desired shade is obtained. 



When the colouring matter is to be used in printing, a sufficient quantity is to be 

 dissolved in water, according to the shade required to be produced ; this solution is to 

 bo thickened with gum, or other common thickening agent, and hydrochloric acid, or 

 tartar of commerce, or any other suitable supersalt, is to be added thereto. After the 

 fabrics have been printed with the coloujing matter, they should be subjected to the 

 ordinary process of steaming, to fix the colour. Napier. 



ALOETIC ACID. The colouring matter of the aloes depends on this acid, which has 

 been examined by Schunck and Mulder. Aloetic acid is deposited from nitric acid, 

 which has been heated with aloes, as a yellow powder : it dissolves in ammonia with 

 a violet colour ; when treated with protochloride of tin it forms a dark-violet heavy 



