956 OILY ACIDS. 



water at 212, and become then of a dull white. They fuse at 

 a high temperature into a colourless liquid, and sublime without 

 residue. Fuming nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid 

 have no destructive action on veratric acid (Merck). The 

 alkaline veratrates are crystallizable, and very soluble in water 

 and alcohol ; the salts of lead and silver are insoluble in water, 

 but soluble in alcohol. Veratric ether, EO-fC 18 H 9 O 7 (Dr. 

 Will), is a crystalline radiated, very friable mass, of density 

 114.1, fusing at 107.6 (42 centig.), and imperfectly volatile. 



Crotonic acid, termed also latrophic acid, is derived from cro- 

 ton oil, the fat oil of the seeds ofCroton tiglium, in the same way 

 as the preceding acid. It is solid, very volatile and highly 

 poisonous (Pelletier and Caventou). 



SECTION V. 



OILY ACIDS OF BUTTER OF COCOA, BUTTER OF NUTMEGS, AND 



PALM OIL. 



Cocinic acid, termed also Cocostearie acid, HO + C 27 H 26 O 3 

 (Bromeis) is the crystallizable acid of the butter of the cocoa- 

 nut. This butter is obtained by expressing the dry fruit 

 between hot plates ; it is white and possesses the consistence 

 of fat, and is distinguished from other fatty bodies by its great 

 solubility in alcohol. 



The mode of preparing cocinic and all the other oily acids is 

 similar. The butter of cocoa is boiled with a solution of an 

 alkali, and thus saponified ; the soap is then decomposed by a 

 mineral acid, and the concrete fat acids which appear are ex- 

 pressed repeatedly between folds of blotting paper, till the 

 latter no longer absorbs liquid matter. The expressed solid 

 matter is saponified anew with soda, the soap dissolved in water, 

 and separated by dissolving common salt in the water ; the soap 

 thus prepared is again decomposed by tartaric acid. Finally 

 the fat acid thus obtained is purified by crystallizing it re- 

 peatedly from alcohol till its point of fusion becomes fixed 

 (Liebig). Cocinic acid is inodorous, of a brilliant white, fuses 

 at 95, and forms on cooling an amorphous diaphanous mass, 

 like porcelain, is insoluble in water. It may be distilled with- 

 out change. The cocinates of alkaline bases considerably re- 

 semble the soaps of the other oily acids. 



