JOURNAL,' 



o r 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



MARCH, 1807. 



ARTICLE I. 



Experiments on F aim-Oil, hy John Bostock, M.D. Co7n- 

 mtmicattid by the Author 



T. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



HE appearance and physical properties of the substance Palm-oil, 

 called Palm-Oil, are sufficiently well known; but I believe its 

 habitudes with different chemical re-agents, have never yet 

 been attended to. 



Palm-Oil, as usually imported into this country, is of a deep —its obvious 

 orange-colour: its consistence is similar to that of butter, ^''^P^"^^** 

 although perhaps, for the most part, a little harder and less 

 unctuous. It has an odour peculiar to itself, somewhat aro- 

 matic, and not unpleasant. Its inflammability seems about 

 equal to that of tallow; a cotton thread, inclosed in a quantity 

 of it, was easily igni(ed, and burned with a clear, bright 

 flame. 



In order to ascertain the melting point of palm-oil, I heated Experiments 

 a portion of it to the 100th degree, when it became perfectly S!n£pdn?. 

 fluid, and then observed the effect produced on the thermo- 

 meter by its gradual cooling. When the mercury had de- 

 scended to the 69th degree, the oil began to be slightly opake; 

 Vol. XV/.—March, 1807. R af 



