Skey. — On the Production of Alkaloids from Fixed Oils. 471 



to the first-named mercuric salt, and that such precipitates are of a pale 

 yellow colour, which is in striking contrast to the full red colour which the 

 precipitate would exhibit were neither of these organic substances present, 

 since this precipitate would be iodide of mercury alone. 



Continuing my researches in this field, I have ascertained that there is 

 another class of organic bodies, besides alkaloids and albumenoids, which 

 determine a yellow colour to the precipitate, which is formed when aqueous 

 solutions of mercuro-iodide of potassium and mercuric-chloride are mixed, 

 and this is that of the essential oils. I therefore hasten to inform you of 

 this fact, and to acquaint you with a knowledge of the means which I find 

 may be used to discriminate, for toxicological purposes especially, the 

 mercurial precipitates so coloured, from those which are coloured by the 

 presence therein of an alkaloid or an albumenoid. 



The yellow mercurial precipitates, which are formed by this means in 

 presence of these oils, volatilize entirely when gently heated, and their 

 sublimates preserve their yellow colour, even when kept cool a long time. 

 This reaction distinguishes such precipitates from those which are formed in 

 part of a fixed alkaloid, also of an albumenoid ; while from those formed in 

 part of a volatile alkaloid they are distinguished by not reddening when 

 treated with mercuric-chloride. 



I find that a very minnte quantity of any of these oils is effective for 

 the production of the phenomena I have described ; for instance, one part 

 of lemon oil to 10,000 parts of water will jproduce it. 



The nitro-oils behave in this case in the same way as the essential oils. 

 The nature of the mercuro-precipitate, which is thus formed in presence 

 of an essential oil, I am unable as yet to determine for lack of time. 



Art. LXXX. — Preliminary Note on the Production of one or more Alkaloids 

 from Fixed Oils, by the Aniline Process. By WnjLiAM Skey, Analyst to 

 the Geological Survey of New Zealand. 



\Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th and 31sf August, 1878.] 

 My late successful production of alkaloids from our petroleums* induced me 

 to apply the same process I used in that instance to the fixed oils, that is 

 the process I name in the title of this paper, for brevity, the "Aniline 

 Process;" one which, I may remind you, consists in first warming the 

 petroleum, etc., to be treated, with nitric acid, by which numerous nitro 

 compounds are produced ; and, in the second place, deoxidizing these by 

 nascent hydrogen, by which any hydro-carbons of the benzol series present 

 • Vide supra, Art. LXXVni, 



