AMYGDALIN. 84? 



the fourth member of the series of hydrocarbons to which ole- 

 fiant gas belongs : 



Methylene (hypothetical) C 2 H 2 



Olefiant gas . , . C 4 H 4 



Oil gas . . . . C 8 H 8 



Naphtene . . . C 16 H 16 



Cetene .... C^ H 32 



Naphtol, C 24 H 22 ; like naphtene, greatly resembles naphtha 

 in its chemical properties, boils at 374. The density of its 

 vapour is by observation 5300, by calculation 5600. Naphtol 

 and naphtene give compounds with chlorine, bromine and 

 iodine. 



It is evident from its composition that natural naphtha must 

 be the product of the action upon vegetable matter of a high 

 temperature, which has not however exceeded a red heat.* 



CHAPTER IV. 



AMYGDALIN AND THE BODIES DERIVED FROM ITS DECOMPO- 

 SITION. 



SECTION I. 



AMYGDALIN. 



The formula of anhydrous amygdalin is C 40 H 27 N O 22 . 



This is a principle in the bitter almond and berries of the 

 cherry-laurel, of which the discovery is due to Robiquet and 

 Boutron-Charlard. Its singular decomposition and the nature and 

 relations of the products resulting from it were ably investigated 

 by MM. Liebig and Woehler in a memoir, the publication of 

 which formed an important era in the progress of organic che- 

 mistry (An. de Chim. li, 273.) 



A fat oil is obtained by submitting blanched bitter almonds 

 to great pressure between two hot iron plates ; the matter 

 which remains, or the almond cake, is the source of amygdalin. 

 It is treated with boiling alcohol of 93 or 94 per cent applied to 

 it in successive portions, and the alcoholic solutions evaporated 

 by a water-bath to a syrupy consistence. To remove a quan- 



* Journal de Pharmacie, t. 26, p. 549. 



