﻿356 
  OF 
  THE 
  REACTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  ESSENTIAL 
  OILS 
  

  

  applicable. 
  With 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  oils, 
  however, 
  similar 
  results 
  were, 
  by 
  

   this 
  method, 
  either 
  totally 
  or 
  partially 
  unattainable, 
  in 
  consequence 
  of 
  

   their 
  reaction 
  with 
  the 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  being 
  so 
  energetic 
  as 
  to 
  cause 
  

   their 
  decomposition 
  before 
  any 
  distillation 
  could 
  take 
  place. 
  No 
  pro- 
  

   duct 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  distillation 
  with 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  and 
  alcohol 
  

   from 
  the 
  oil 
  of 
  cinnamon 
  obtained 
  from 
  cassia. 
  From 
  the 
  oils 
  of 
  sas- 
  

   safras 
  and 
  cloves, 
  but 
  little 
  can 
  be 
  procured. 
  

  

  However, 
  in 
  one 
  instance, 
  by 
  previously 
  mixing 
  the 
  oil 
  of 
  sassafras 
  

   with 
  the 
  alcohol, 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  account 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  experiment 
  with 
  the 
  oil 
  of 
  turpentine, 
  I 
  succeeded 
  in 
  obtaining, 
  

   in 
  addition 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  heavy 
  liquid 
  containing 
  sulphuric 
  

   acid, 
  a 
  minute 
  quantity 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  one, 
  devoid 
  of 
  that 
  acid, 
  which 
  

   burned 
  without 
  smoke, 
  was 
  insoluble 
  in 
  water, 
  and 
  very 
  fluid. 
  I 
  am 
  

   disposed 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  liquid 
  thus 
  procured 
  as 
  a 
  hydrate 
  of 
  sassafras 
  

   oil, 
  or 
  sassafreine, 
  as 
  I 
  would 
  call 
  it, 
  being 
  analogous 
  to 
  hydric 
  ether. 
  

  

  The 
  oil 
  of 
  sassafras, 
  whether 
  isolated 
  or 
  in 
  combination, 
  possesses 
  a 
  

   remarkable 
  property, 
  which, 
  I 
  believe, 
  has 
  not 
  attracted 
  sufficient 
  ob- 
  

   servation 
  : 
  I 
  mean 
  that 
  of 
  producing 
  an 
  intense 
  crimson 
  colour, 
  when 
  

   added, 
  even 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  minute 
  quantity, 
  to 
  concentrated 
  sulphuric 
  acid. 
  

  

  One 
  drop 
  of 
  oil 
  of 
  sassafras 
  imparted 
  a 
  striking 
  colour 
  to 
  forty- 
  

   eight 
  ounce 
  measures 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  and 
  appeared 
  perceptible 
  when 
  

   it 
  formed 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  five 
  millionth 
  part. 
  This 
  property 
  was 
  com- 
  

   pletely 
  retained 
  by 
  the 
  lighter 
  liquid 
  above 
  described 
  as 
  procured 
  from 
  

   oil 
  of 
  sassafras. 
  

  

  I 
  subsequently 
  observed, 
  that 
  when 
  sulphurous 
  acid, 
  whether 
  in 
  

   the 
  form 
  of 
  sulphurous 
  ether, 
  in 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  gas, 
  or 
  when 
  in 
  union 
  with 
  

   water, 
  was 
  brought 
  into 
  contact 
  with 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  essential 
  oils 
  (including 
  

   kreosote), 
  which 
  were 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  experiment, 
  they 
  acquired 
  a 
  

   yellow 
  colour, 
  and 
  a 
  strong 
  smell 
  of 
  this 
  acid. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  yellow 
  compound 
  thus 
  obtained 
  from 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  

   essential 
  oils 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  tried, 
  if 
  the 
  sulphurous 
  acid 
  be 
  removed 
  by 
  

   heat, 
  the 
  oil, 
  by 
  analysis, 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  yield 
  sulphuric 
  acid. 
  That 
  

   some 
  acid 
  of 
  sulphur 
  remains 
  in 
  union 
  must 
  be 
  evident, 
  since 
  washing 
  

   with 
  ammonia 
  will 
  not 
  entirely 
  remove 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  yielding 
  sulphu- 
  

   ric 
  acid 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  total 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  sulphurous 
  smell 
  demonstrates 
  

   that 
  the 
  sulphurous 
  acid 
  either 
  enters 
  into 
  an 
  intimate 
  combination 
  

  

  