153 
ARTICLE VIII. 
Experiments on the Essential Oil of the Spirea Ulmaria, or 
Meadow-Sweet ; by Dr. Lowie, Professor of Chemistry at 
Lurich*. 
From J. C. Poggendorff’s Annalen der Physik und Chemie; Berlin, 
Second Series, vol. v. p. 596. 
Wauusr by the examination of plants and vegetable matters we 
have acquired the knowledge of a great number of oxyacids with 
compound radicals, with the exception of prussic acid no such hydracid 
has been shown to exist in organic nature; and of hydracids with ter- 
nary radicals, if we except the sulphocyanic acid, we have not the 
slightest knowledge. 
The constancy of the phenomena which oil of bitter almonds pre- 
sents, have not only led to the positive knowledge of the existence of 
ternary radicals, but also to the fact that oxyacids exist with ternary 
bases containing oxygen. 
By means of the experiments made with the essential oil of the blos- 
soms of the Spirea Ulmaria, described in the following treatise, the first 
hydracid with a ternary radical in organic nature has been discovered 
in a most extraordinary manner, and they give every reason to hope 
that the radical of the same may also be isolated. 
The reader must excuse the circumstances that the experiments are not 
carried further, and that some of the most important appearances when 
remarked have not been further pursued, as for all the experiments, 
there was only a very small quantity of material at the disposal of the 
experimenter. 
If also, on account of the small quantity of the oil which could be 
subjected to research, each experiment was conducted only on a small 
seale, especially as regards the analysis, and could only be seldom re- 
peated, the coincidence of each separate experiment may perhaps in 
part supply the want of repetition. Should however the analytical re- 
sults experience any small change by later repeated experiments, we 
may nevertheless be sure that the facts themselves of which this Memoir 
treats will lose nothing in importance. 
By means of this communication the attention of chemists may be 
drawn to the oil of the Spirea, so that not only a repetition of these 
experiments, but also a further extension of them may be expected with 
certainty from other chemists. 
.* [The Editor is indebted for the translation of this Paper to E.Solly, jun., Esq. ] 
