258 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, [May, 1907. 



• 



time ago, samples of two of these fats from the Range Forest 

 Officer, Thirthalli, Shimoga District, Mysore. The following notes 



accompanied the samples : 



" 1. A kind of ghee from '' Mnrga" seeds (Garcmia). The seeds 

 when they fall in May, June and July in the Taluks of Thirthalli, 

 Koppa, Nagar and Sagar are picked up by the villagers and the 

 oil is extracted. This is used like ghee for all cooking purposes." 



"2. An oil from the seeds of "Gurgi" {Garcima morella). 

 The treatment is the same as above, but the oil is used for light- 

 ing, frying and as a medicine for sprains and injuries." The 

 Kanarese name '' Gurgimara" signifies yellow gum tree. 



The oils were semi-solid, of a yellow colour, and destitute of 

 odour and taste. They were very similar in composition as the 

 following constants indicate ; 



Murga. Gurgi. 



Specific Gravity at 50^0... ... "900 '902 



37°C 33'5G 



Melting point 

 Acid value 



• # • 



Saponification value ... ... 198'20 194-74 



Iodine „ 



53-72 55-46 



Reichert Meissl „ „. ,,. -69 -62 



Percentage of fatty acids ... 94-89 95-20 



Melting point of „ ... ... 56^C 55°C 



Iodine value of „ ... ... 56'38 57-81 



One gram of the oil digested in 50 cc of alcohol of 90 per 

 cent, yielded 10'7 percent, soluble fat and 89'1 per cent, insoluble. 



At the temperature of 29°C, the fat was separated by filtra- 

 tion and pressure into 55*1 per cent, of liquid fat or olein and 

 449 per cent. of solid fats. 



By calculating from the iodine value of these two oils the 

 Murga fat yielded 62*33 per cent, olein and the Gurgi fat 64*34 

 per cent. By solution of the lead salt of the first named 63 per 

 cent, was soluble in ether, indicating a similar proportion of olein. 



With regard to the solid fatty acids, three recrystallizations 

 from alcohol gave white fatty acids melting respectively at 

 61°, 66° and 70'5°. The last is characteristic of stearic acid which 

 was piesent to the extent of about 30 per cent. Acids with the 

 intermediate melting points corresponded with acid values 206*7 

 and 202*7, and may be referred to the presence of small quantities 

 of palmitic acid. 



The next Garcinia fat operated upon was Kokam or Goa but- 

 ter obtained from the seeds of Garcinia indica, Choia, 



I found it to jield the following constants : 



Specific Gravity at50°O ... ... -9106 



Melting point 



Acid value .., ^]^,3 



Saponification value ... ... ' ' 191-5 



Iodine ^.^ '" 9^*0 



Keichert Meissl 



« ■ • 



43°C 



n 



•978 



