76 Composition of the oil from Bir Bahoti. [|March, 1905. 
characteristic manner of cholesterol. The crystals were thin 
plates, but their shape was quite irregular. Tested for cholesterol 
by the colour reactions the results were as follows :— 
A solution of a very small quantity in acetic anhydride gave 
an intense blue colour on the addition of strong sulphuric acid 
drop by drop, and the same result was obtained by Burchard’s 
modification of the above test in which the cholesterol is first 
dissolved in 2 c.c. of chloroform, and then treated with 20 drops 
of acetic anhydride and one drop of sulphuric acid. Salkowski’s 
modification of Hager’s reaction gave the colour which is charac- 
teristic of cholesterol. A minute quantity was dissolved in 2 c.c. 
of chloroform and an equal volume of concentrated sulphuric 
added to it and the mixture shaken. On separating, the chloro- 
formic layer was coloured red, and on standing changed to purple 
on the following day when the lower layer had a decided green 
fluoresence. It should be stated that the unsaponifiable matter 
used in the above tests was quite free from colour. 
These reactions and the melting point of the alcohols obtained 
indicate the presence of cholesterol, and possibly of a fatty alcohol 
of high molecular weight. The amount of unsaponifiable matter 
available was too small for further investigation. 
The Fatty acids—The soap freed from unsaponifiable matter 
was treated with dilute hydrochloric acid, and heated to liberate 
the fatty acids. These were thoroughly washed and dried in a 
steam-oven. They were still tinted red, but not enough so to 
render impossible the use of phenol-phthalein as an indicator. 
For the mixed fatty acids the following values were obtained :— 
Saponification value nae soo) LUD 
(Hence mean mol. wt. a mag | ZtSv4)) 
Iodine value sae OOO 
Melting point Ain ae ol 3 2e 
It is stated by Lewkowitsch that when the mixed fatty acids 
are triturated with alcohol specific gravity ‘911, the unsaturated 
acids are almost completely dissolved. Accordingly the mixed 
acids obtained as above were treated in that way in the cold and 
filtered. The filtrate was reserved for treatment by Varrentrap’s 
method. The residue of saturated acids was washed with alcohol 
sp. gr. ‘911 and fractionally crystallized from absolute alcohol. 
Three fractions were thus obtained, andeach of these was recrys- 
tallized three times from hot alcohol. The melting points were 
then 54°, 53°, and 53°. 5. After a fourth crystallization the melt- 
ing points were 54°. 7, 53°. 4 and 53°. 6, respectively. They were 
thus very nearly pure, but not quite, and the presence of myristic 
acid with a small quantity of palmitic or stearic acids was 
indicated. The three fractions were mixed and put on one 
side. q 
The filtrate from the alcohol sp. gr. ‘911 were evaporated down 
to dryness and saponified with an alcoholic solution of potassium 
hydrate. The soap was exactly neutralized with acetic acid and 
