Hodges — On the Fibre of the Flax Plant. 465 



it formed a waxy acid floating on the liquid, melting at 82° C. The 

 quantity of this was not sufficient for a combustion, and I had to 

 content myself with preparing the ethyl ether, by dissolving the acid 

 in absolute alcohol, and passing through dry hydrochloric acid gas. 

 The ether was precipitated on the cooling of the liquid in microscopi- 

 cally small needles, melting at 60-61° C, and solidifying in a crystal- 

 line form. Both the melting point of the free acid and that of the 

 ethyl ether agree very nearly with the data for cerotylic acid. Cero- 

 tylic or cerotic acid, F. p. 81-82° C. ; Cerotic ethyl ether, P. p. 60-3° 

 (Brodie). If the elementary analyses agree, these data will make it 

 probable that the acid is cerotylic acid. 



JExtr action with Etlier and Alcohol. 



20*8555 grammes dried flax were extracted with absolute ether for 

 twenty-four hours, and weighed .20"0455 grammes: loss of weight 

 0-810 gramme = 3-88 per cent. 



The extract freed from ether (white wax and green oil) weighed 

 0-8057 gramme, corresponding to 3*86 per cent, loss of weight. The 

 20-0455 grammes, after extracting with absolute alcohol for twenty- 

 four hours, weighed 19-9455 grammes : loss ~ 0-1000 = 0-45 per cent. 

 The alcoholic extract was of a deep brown colour, and after evapora- 

 tion of the alcohol evolved a smell similar to over-ripe stawberries. 

 Kolb, in his experiments, found 4-8 per cent, capable of being extracted 

 with ether and alcohol; but he carried his investigation no further than 

 to give it as his opinion that the matters extracted were composed of 

 two bodies of different densities — a wax, and an odorous essence, the 

 former probably complex, all of which had been long ago shown to 

 be the case by Dr. Hodges, and is now confirmed by the above ex- 

 periments. 



Extraction with Caustic Soda Solution. 



18-734 grammes flax, previously extracted with ether and alcohol, 

 and dried at 100° C.-112° C. for twelve hours, were boiled with caustic 

 soda liquor, till no further loss of weight took place; remaining weight 

 13-406 grammes: loss 5-328 grammes = 28-4 per cent. 



Preparation of Pectic Acid. 



A large quantity of flax previously extracted with ether and 

 alcohol was boiled for a short time, say one-half to one hour, with 

 caustic soda solution, and a little sodium carbonate. The decanted 

 liquor was decolourised as much as possible by animal charcoal, and 

 filtered. The liquor was faintly brown. This liquor, according to 

 Premy, should contain pectic acid, as it is his idea that if either the 

 ferment, to which he gave the name of pectase, or the free alkalies, 

 or their carbonates, be allowed to act on a substance containing the 

 organic body pectine, they can, the former at a temperature of 30° C, 



