42 



water; and, when both solutions have cooled to 80°, mix, and 

 having then added the fusel oil, shake the mixture, and continue 

 the agitation until the temperature, which at first rises to 150°, 

 has fallen to 70° or 80°. Draw over now by distillation about 

 half a gallon of liquid, and having saturated this with caustic 

 soda, and separated any unoxidated fusel oil, evaporate down 

 to about the bulk of four ounces, and, placing the valerianate 

 of soda in a retort, with an equivalent quantity of oil of vitriol 

 diluted with twice its bulk of water, again distil. The vale- 

 rianic acid thus obtained, when rendered anhydrous by the 

 usual methods, was found to have the same chemical composi- 

 tion, specific gravity, and boiling point, with the acid extracted 

 directly from the root of the valerian, so that there'Qan be no 

 doubt of their identity. 



The fusel oil used in his experiments is found in the spent 

 wash of the distillers, from which it may be separated by con- 

 tinuing the distillation after the spirit has ceased to come over. 

 The discovery of it in this liquid Dr. Apjohn stated that he 

 communicated to the Academy so far back as the year 1840. 



The valerianates of zinc, quina, and iron, should be pre- 

 pared from the valerianate of soda by double decomposition. 

 The valerianate of zinc may also be made by neutralizing va- 

 lerianic acid with the hydrated carbonate of zinc ; but this 

 direct method is scarcely applicable in the case of the two 

 other salts. 



Dr. Apjohn, in conclusion, stated that he did not claim to 

 be original in converting fusel oil into valerianic acid, such hav- 

 ing been previously effected through the agency of potash. 

 At the time, however, he first accomplished this metamorpho- 

 sis (November, 1847), by the oxidating influence of chromic 

 acid, he was not aware that such method had been tried by any 

 other chemist ; and the attempts since made on the Continent 

 would seem^not to have been very successful, as Regnault, in 

 his fourth volume, not long since published, immediately after 

 describing a process of this kind, observes, " that the best 



