i838J 



FARMERS^ REGISTER. 



601 



1-784 



5-544 



12672 



from the natural bitter principle in its power of 

 combining with the alkaiicsj in nnion with tlic 

 fixed alkalies, it constitutes crystallized bodie?, 

 which have the property ol" detonating by heat or 

 percussion. 



The natural bitter principle is of great impor- 

 tance in the art of brewing; it checks fermenta- 

 lion, and preserves lermented iicjuors; it is like- 

 wise used in medicine. 



The bitter principle, like the narcotic principle, 

 appears to consist principally ol' carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and oxytren, wiih a liltle azote. 



12. fl'ax is found in a number of vcn;etab!es; it 

 is procured in abundance (i^om the berries of the 

 Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera):* it may be like- 

 wise obtained li'om the leaves of many trees: in 

 its pure state it is white. Its specific gravity is 

 •9662; it melts at 155 degrees: it is dissolved by 

 boiling alcohol; but it is not acted upon by cold 

 alcohol: it is insoluble in water: its properties as 

 a combustible body are well known. 



The wax of the vegetable kingdom seems to 

 be precisely of the same nature as that afforded 

 by the bee.f 



From the experiments of MM. Gay Lussac 

 and Thenard, it appears that 100 parts of wax 

 consist of 



Carbon 

 Oxygen 

 Hydrogen 

 Or otherwise, 

 Carbon 



Oxygen and hydrogen in 

 the proportions necessary 

 to Ibrm water - 

 Hydrogen 



Which agrees very nearly with 37 proportions of 

 hydrogen, 21 of charcoal, 1 ol' oxygen. 



13. Resin is very common in the vegetable 

 kingdom. One of the most usual species is that 

 aHbrded by tjie ditierent kinds of fir. When a 

 portion of the bark is removed from a fir-tree in 

 spring, a matter exudes, which is called turpen- 

 tine; by healing this turpentine gently, a volatile 

 oil rises Iroin it, and a more fixed substance re- 

 mains: this sul)stance is resin. 



The resin of the fir is the substance common!}^ 

 known by the name of rosin; its properties are 

 well known, its specific gravity is 1072. It 

 melts readily, burns with a yellow light, throwing 

 ofl' much smoke. Resin is insoluble in water, 

 either hot or cold; but very soluble in alcohol. 

 When a solution of resin in alcohol is mixed with 

 water, the solution becomes milky; the resin is 

 deposited by the stronger attraction of the water 

 for the alcohol. 



Resins are obtained from m'-iny other species of 

 trees. _ Mastich from the Pistacia Lentisciis, 

 Elemi from the Amyris elemifera, Copal from the 

 jRhus copallinum, Sandarach from the common 



* It is also procured from the berries of the cinna- 

 mon tree (Laurtis Cinnamomum.) The products of 

 this tree ara remarkable: its wood is colorless, insipid, 

 and inodorous; its bark, as is well known, contains 

 the oil which bears its name; its leaves, an oil similar 

 to that of cloves; its berries, wax, as above mention- 

 ed; and its roots camphor. — J. D. 



t Accordinp^ to the recent analysis of bees' wax 

 and of vegetable wax by Oppermann, they diiier in 

 the proportions of their elements. — J. D. 



Vol. VI.— 76 



juniper. Of these resins copal is the most pecu- 

 liar. It is the most diiRcultly dissolved in alcohol; 

 and for this purpose must be exposed to that sub- 

 stance in vapor; or the alcohol employed must 

 hold camphor in solution. According to Gay 

 Lus>ac and Thenard, 



100 parts of common resin contain 



Carbon - - 75-944 



Oxygen - - 13-337 



Hydrogen - - 10-719 



Or of 



Carbon - - 75-944 



Oxygen and hydrogen in ^ 



the proportions nece6-> 15-156 

 sary to Ibrm water j 

 Hydrogen in excess - 8-900 



According to the same chemists, 100 parts of 

 copal consist of 



Carbon - - 76-811 



Oxygen - - 10-606 



Hydrogen - - 12-583 



Or, 

 Carbon - - 76-11 



Water or its elements 12052 



Hydrogen - - 11-137 



From these results, if resin be a definite com- 

 pound, it may be supposed to consist of 8 propor- 

 tions of carbon, 12 of hydrogen, and one of 

 oxygen. 



Resins are used for a variety of purposes. Tar 

 and pitch principally consist of resin, in a partial- 

 ly decomposed state. Tar is made by the slow- 

 combustion of the fir; and pitch by the evaporation 

 of the more volatile parts of tar. Resins are em- 

 ployed as varnishes, and for these purposes are 

 dissolved in alcohol or oils. Copal forms one of 

 the finest. It may be made by boiling it in pow- 

 der with oil of rosemary, and then adding alcohol 

 to the solution. 



14. Camphor is produced by distilling the wood 

 of the camphor-tree (^Laurus Camphora), which 

 grows in Japan. It is a very vplatile body, and 

 may be purified by distillation. Camphor is a 

 white, brittle, semi-transparent substance, having 

 a peculiar odor, and a strong acrid taste. It is 

 very slightly soluble in water; more than 100,000 

 parts of water are required to dissolve one part of 

 camphor. It is very soluble in alcohol ; and by 

 adding water in small quantities at a time to the 

 solution ol' camphor in alcohol, the camphor sepa- 

 rates in a crystallized form. It is soluble in nitric 

 acid, and is separated from it by water. 



Camphor is very inflammable ; it burns with a 

 bright flame, and throws off a great quantity of 

 carbonaceous matter. It forms, in combustion, 

 water, carbonic acid, and a peculiar acid called cam- 

 phoric acid. No accurate analysis has been made 

 of camphor, but it seems to approach to the resins 

 in its composition ; and consists of carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and oxygen. 



Camphor exists in other plants besides the Zau- 

 rus Camphora. It is procured from species of the 

 Laurus growing in Sumatra, Borneo, and other of 

 the East Indian isles. It has been obtained from 

 Thyme (Thymus Serpyllum), Marjorum (Origa- 

 num Majorana), ginger tree (j^momum Zin- 

 giber'), sage (Salvia officinalis). Many volatile 

 oils yield camphor by being merely exposed to the 

 air. 



An artificial substance very similar to camphor 

 has been formed by M. Kind, by saturating oil of 



