ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION. UG 
precipitate the whole, was added; to the filtrate an excess of the magnesia solution was 
added, and the fat remaining in the filtrate from this precipitation was separated, as was 
also that of the other two precipitates. The following results and melting points are in 
their order as determined: 
(a) 0:351 : o melts 61° 
(6) 0:527 4 5 “ 61° 
(ec) 0-085 5 : GG “BBO 
loss 0-173 
1.136 grammes. 
(a) and (0) were united, dissolved in alcohol, enough alcoholic solution of acetate of mag- 
nesia to precipitate the half added, and after standing for a couple of days, the precipitate 
was filtered off, and ammonia added to alkaline reaction to the filtrate. The first magnesia 
salt was translucent, and fused by heat to a transparent liquid, which by more heat gra- 
dually grew darker, finally black, and left a residue of magnesia. The melting point of 
the fat of this substance was as before, 61°. 
The second magnesia salt was white and amorphous; it presented the same relations to 
heat as the first, and contained a fat of the same melting point, 61°. These fats were both 
brilliant white, lamellar, and of rough surface. The first magnesia salt contained a per 
centage of 7°59 MgO (0:25025 gave 0-019) and the second contained about double the per 
centage of magnesia, viz.: 14:91; for 0°28 salt gave 0:°04175 magnesia by incineration. 
Neutral palmitate of magnesia C,,, H,,,O, MgO gives by calculation 7:6 per cent. mag- 
nesia, and basic palmitate C,,, H,,, O; 2 MgO gives 14:15 magnesia, which approaches the 
nearest to the magnesia salt of the above fatty acids. 
The experiments of fractional precipitation of the normal solution of fat 6°, were con- 
ducted in the same manner, and with the following results, in which (c) and (d) represent 
the fatty acids of the two magnesia salts, and (e) that of the portion not precipitated by 
an excess of acetate of magnesia : 
(c) Q : : 0-474 melt pt. 59°5 
(d) 5 F i 0-440 3 61°5 
(e) ‘ : , 0-356 as 58° 5 
loss during the ex. 0-010 
1-280 grammes of fat. 
The magnesia salts from which the fats (c) and (d) were separated, gave as follows :— 
(c) 0-227 gave 0:01675=7-38 per cent. magnesia; and (d) 0:1735 gave 0-012 = 6:92 
magnesia. On comparing the melting points of these fats, and making allowance for want 
of a more perfect separation from impurities, there can be little doubt that they are neu- 
tral palmitates of magnesia, as was before ascertained. According to Heintz (Zoochemie, 
VOL, XI.—3 
