132 PLANT AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



sistency and crystalline in structure. It solidified at 12 C. 

 From a definite volume of the petroleum spirit extract, the 

 amount of total solids was determined. 



TOTAL SOLIDS. 



Petroleum spirit residue dried at 100 C i.i per cent, of solids. 



110 C i.i " " " 



ooo " " loss. 



The residue was identified as a fixed oil. It was soluble 

 in warm absolute alcohol, incompletely soluble in weaker al- 

 cohol; soluble in cold acetic ether, chloroform, benzole, amyl 

 alcohol, ether, carbon di-sulphide, and glycerin. It was saponi- 

 fied with aqueous soda and a white soap separated. No re- 

 action was observed with picric acid and ammonium phos- 

 phate, nor with nitric acid of 1.32 specific gravity and 1.18 

 specific gravity. The fixed oil was soluble in potassio-mer- 

 curic iodide solution; and colored dark brown by alcoholic 

 ammonia. A mixture of ferric chloride solution and powdered 

 rosaniline gave a fine violet- colored reaction with the fixed 

 oil. 



An examination of the aqueous treatment of the petroleum 

 spirit residues (3) and (4), for alkaloids, gave negative results. 

 A portion of the original powder, from each of the four parts 

 of the plant, was mixed with an aqueous solution of caustic 

 soda, and the distillate examined for volatile alkaloids with 

 negative results. 



SUMMARY I. PETROLEUM SPIRIT EXTRACTS 



The solids extracted by petroleum spirit from the four parts 

 of the plant are identified as fixed oils; l associated with a vola- 



1 "Fixed Oils," Science, September n, 1885. 



