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Composition of the owl from Bir Bahoti. | March, 1905. 
- 7. The Composition of the oil from Bir Bahoti or the “ Rains 
Insect,” (Trombidium grandissimum).—By E. G. Hit, B.A., F.C.S. 
The animal known to natives as bir bahoti and which is de- 
scribed as the “rains insect,” the “red velvet sect,” the “ lady 
cow, in the Cyclopedia of India, and as Bucella carniola in 
Platts’ dictionary, is a red mite about half an inch long and from 
a quarter to three-eighths of an inch in its widest part. It is 
covered with a scarlet, velvety down, and appears on the ground at 
the beginning of the rainy season. It is only to be found for a few 
weeks in the year, but it has a great reputation among Mahome- 
dans as an aphrodisiac, so itis collected and kept for sale in the 
bazaar. The insects from which the author extracted the oil for 
his experiments were purchased from a dealer in Allahabad city. 
They had been kept for several months, but had not putrified at 
all. On pressure they exuded a deep red oil. It is this oil which 
is used medically as an external application. The Cyclopedia 
quoted above states that the oil is used as a counter-irritant, but 
it appears to have no such properties, and its efficacy as a medicine 
is probably purely imaginary and due to its colour. 
About a pound of the insects were extracted with ether in a 
Soxhlet’s apparatus. The extraction was carried on till the ether 
came over colourless, and the various fractions were then mixed 
together and the ether evaporated. The oil was slightly wet and it 
was dried over a little calcium chloride. Thus obtained it was 
almost as deep in colour as bromine. It had a specific gravity 
of ‘907 at 15°C. On being kept at that temperature for a day or 
two, it set to a semi-solid mass which melted at 18?-19°. The oil 
had a very peculiar odour somewhat resembling that of Malwa oil 
of opium. It began to boil with decomposition at 240°. The first 
portions of the distillate were liquid, but subsequently at a higher 
temperature solid products also passed over. These were all 
colourless. Acrolein was obviously one of the products. 
With strong sulphuric acid the oil gave a vivid blue colour 
which turned to green. With nitric acid all colour was destroyed. 
Cold potassium hydrate, chlorine water, hydrochloric acid and 
ferric chloride had no action on the oil. 
The oil readily dissolved in ether, but alcohol left a small por- 
tion undissolved. This was of the same red colour as the original 
oil: it was more soluble in hot alcohol, but was thrown out of 
solution as the alcohol cooled. 
With nitrous acid the oil gave a buttery elaidin in a few hours. 
On distillation in steam partial hydrolysis took place, and the 
distillate had a pungent odour which seemed to be that of 
butyric acid. This acid was recognized by neutralizing the 
distillate with potassium hydrate and evaporating to dryness on 
the water bath. The salt thus obtained was treated with alcohol 
and a few drops.of sulphuric acid, and warmed, when the distinctive 
