Miscellanies. — 191 
subject were made over mercury in cylindrical vessels which con- 
tained 180 or 200 cubic centimetres of oxygen, extracted from chlo- 
rate of potash. ‘The oil formed at the surface of the metallic fluid, 
a stratum:of 33 millimetres in diameter, and about three millimetres 
thick, (about ,', of an inch). The receivers were replenished, as it 
became necessary, by fresh gas. ‘They were exposed to a diffused 
light, and to a temperature not exceeding 75° F. in summer, and ap- 
_ proaching to zero in winter. ‘The volumes were reduced to 60° F., 
and to a pressure of 29.2 inches. 
1. Olive Oil.—This was exposed during five months without any 
sensible action on the gas, and without absorbing more than its vol- 
ume of oxygen. The most rapid absorption was in the sixteenth 
month. In the course of four years, it had observed 380 cubic cen- 
timetres of gas. The oil was then a little thicker, and had entirely 
lost its color. It was very rancid. The residue of the gas, 124 
€. c. consisted of 
Carbonic acid, - - . - . 81.7 
~~~ Azote, - aa 14.9 
Hydiogan, 2 a ee ae 
Oxygen, - - - a a - 4.2 
124, 
Qe Oil of Sweet Almonds.—In the first week it absorbed 3c.c.,- 
in one year 140 c.c., and in four years 427.c.c. In the last year 
the absorption was 30 c.c. The remaining 142 c.c. of gas con- 
tained Carbonic acid, ~ ~ = O64... 
_ Hydrogen, - - - - a 20.4 
Azote, = - - - - - 18.7 
Oxygen, - - - - - - 6.9 
, 142 
3. Hemp Seed Oil.—This oil is siccative. The two former are 
not drying oils. It was of a deep greenish yellow. The absorption 
during three months was slow, then increased in rapidity, and the 
color gradually disappeared ; the oil thickened, and a gelatinous pel- 
licle appeared on the surface. In the course of a year, the oil had 
absorbed 577 c. c., in. the second year 29 c.c., and in the third 14 
c.c. The whole gas disappeared, amounted to 620c.c. The oil 
was semi-fluid. 
