168 



Some experiments made with a view to the production of certain 

 new derivatives of capric aldehyde, led the author to believe the ideas 

 generally entertained regarding the formula of the oil to be erroneous. 

 Before continuing his experiments, he has therefore reinvestigated the 

 nature of the oil itself. 



In order to obtain the aldehyde in a state of purity, advantage was 

 taken of the tendency of the aldehydes to combine with the alkaline 

 bisulphites. The oil obtained from the ammoniacal bisulphite of the 

 aldehyde was carefully analysed. The mean of eight very coincident 



analyses gave, 



Mean. Calculation. 



100-00 170 100-00 



The mean of two determinations of the density of the vapour* 

 gave, 



Experiment (mean). Theory C 22 H 22 O 2 =4 vols. 



5-870 5-874 



The aldehyde, purified as above, was again converted into the am- 

 moniacal bisulphite, from which the oil was a second time obtained. 

 It gave on analysis, 



Carbon 77"67 



Hydrogen 12'93 



Oxygen 9*40 



100-00 



It is plain, therefore, that oil of rue contains an aldehyde of the 

 formula C 22 H 22 O 2 . Recent researches having demonstrated that no 

 acid of the series C n H n O 4 with 22 equivalents of carbon has yet been 

 isolated, and no other derivative with a 22 carbon formula being 

 known, the author has given the name enodyle to the radical homo- 

 logous with acetyle contained in this substance. 



Enodic aldehyde is a colourless fluid of a fruity odour, quite differ- 

 ent to that of the rue plant. Its density is 0'8497 at 15. Agitation 



* In order to prevent oxidation of the oil, the balloons were filled with hy- 

 drogen previous to immersion in the bath. 



