90 ANIMAL BASES. 



CHAPTER V. 



OF AMMOLIN. * 



THIS substance, like the three preceding, was first obtained 

 and examined by Unverdorben. His process for obtaining it is 

 the folio wing : v 



Pour dilute sulphuric acid into unrectified Dippel's oil, as long 

 as any effervescence is produced. When this is at an end, add 

 as much more sulphuric acid as has been already mixed with the 

 oil; allow the mixture to remain for some hours, agitating it 

 frequently during that time. When the sulphuric acid liquor 

 and the oil have separated from each other, draw off the oil and 

 wash it with water. Add these washings to the sulphuric acid 

 liquor. This acid solution contains supersulphates of odorin, 

 animin, olanin, and also of ammolin, saturated with empyreuma- 

 tic oil dissolved. To get rid of this last oil, let the liquor be 

 boiled for three hours in an open vessel, replacing the water as 

 it evaporates. By this treatment, a portion of the oil is vola- 

 tilized, and another portion separates under the form of a brown 

 resin. Mix the liquor, which has now become brown, with a 

 fortieth part of its weight of nitric acid, and evaporate till only a 

 fourth part of the original quantity remains. Add water till the 

 original bulk of the liquid is restored, and after having nearly, 

 but not fully, saturated it with carbonate of soda, distil till what 

 comes over has neither the smell of odorin nor animin. What 

 remains in the retort is a mixture of sulphate of ammonia and 

 sulphate of ammolin. After taking this residue out of the re- 

 tort, let the sulphuric acid be completely saturated with carbon- 

 ate of soda, and then evaporate the liquid. Carbonate of ammo- 

 nia is disengaged, and a brown oil separates. This oil is to be 

 cautiously distilled. What passes over is ammolin, containing 

 an empyreumatic oil, having the smell of horse-radish. What 

 remains in the retort isfuscin. 



Boil what has been distilled over with water. A portion of 

 the empyreumatic oil is volatilized, and another portion dissolves 

 in the water. The ammolin which remains is a colourless oily 

 body, which is heavier than water, and which instantly restores 

 the colour of litmus-paper reddened by an acid. 



* The word is made-up of the first syllables of the words awwoniacum and 

 o/eum, adding the termination in. 



