﻿220 
  MR 
  THOMAS 
  HENRY 
  ROWNEY 
  ON 
  A 
  NEW 
  SOURCE 
  

  

  given 
  off; 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  operation 
  be 
  performed 
  in 
  a 
  retort 
  with 
  a 
  receiver 
  attached, 
  

   this 
  compound 
  is 
  found 
  floating 
  on 
  the 
  water 
  that 
  passes 
  over 
  during 
  the 
  opera- 
  

   tion. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  rendered 
  soluble 
  by 
  being 
  digested 
  with 
  a 
  strong 
  solution 
  of 
  

   caustic 
  potassa 
  for 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  days 
  on 
  the 
  sand-bath. 
  On 
  adding 
  HC1 
  or 
  

   HO, 
  S0 
  3 
  to 
  the 
  cold 
  alkaline 
  solution, 
  a 
  dark 
  oily 
  mass 
  rises 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  ; 
  this 
  

   was 
  filtered 
  and 
  washed 
  with 
  cold 
  water. 
  I 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  best 
  way 
  to 
  obtain 
  

   the 
  acid 
  pure, 
  was 
  to 
  dissolve 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  dilute 
  solution 
  of 
  NH 
  4 
  0, 
  and 
  then 
  to 
  add 
  

   Ba, 
  CI 
  until 
  it 
  ceased 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  precipitate 
  ; 
  this 
  precipitate 
  was 
  filtered 
  and 
  washed 
  

   with 
  cold 
  water, 
  then 
  dissolved 
  by 
  boiling 
  with 
  water, 
  filtering 
  whilst 
  hot, 
  and 
  

   allowing 
  the 
  filtrate 
  to 
  crystallize. 
  It 
  is 
  sometimes 
  dissolved 
  with 
  difficulty 
  by 
  

   boiling 
  water, 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  forming 
  hard 
  soapy 
  masses 
  during 
  the 
  boiling 
  ; 
  by 
  crys- 
  

   tallizing 
  the 
  baryta 
  salt 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times, 
  it 
  becomes 
  nearly 
  colourless. 
  It 
  was 
  

   then 
  decomposed 
  by 
  boiling 
  with 
  NaO, 
  C0 
  2 
  , 
  and 
  filtered 
  from 
  the 
  precipitated 
  

   BaO, 
  CO.,, 
  dilute 
  HO, 
  S0 
  3 
  was 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  filtrate 
  to 
  separate 
  the 
  capric 
  acid, 
  

   and 
  b}^ 
  these 
  means 
  it 
  was 
  obtained 
  nearly 
  colourless, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  solid 
  state. 
  To 
  

   obtain 
  it 
  perfectly 
  pure, 
  it 
  was 
  dissolved 
  in 
  alcohol, 
  and 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  water 
  

   was 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  alcoholic 
  solution, 
  the 
  mixture 
  becomes 
  turbid, 
  and 
  after 
  stand- 
  

   ing 
  for 
  some 
  hours 
  capric 
  acid 
  crystallizes 
  out 
  ; 
  and 
  by 
  repeating 
  this 
  process 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  obtained 
  perfectly 
  pure 
  and 
  colourless. 
  The 
  mother 
  liquors 
  from 
  the 
  

   baryta 
  salt 
  were 
  concentrated 
  by 
  evaporation 
  and 
  then 
  boiled 
  with 
  NaO, 
  CO,, 
  

   filtered 
  from 
  the 
  BaO, 
  CO,., 
  and 
  the 
  filtrate 
  decomposed 
  by 
  HO, 
  S0 
  3 
  ; 
  the 
  capric 
  

   acid 
  obtained 
  from 
  this 
  portion 
  was 
  mixed 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  an 
  oily 
  acid, 
  

   the 
  quantity 
  was 
  so 
  small 
  that 
  I 
  was 
  not 
  able 
  to 
  ascertain 
  its 
  constitution. 
  

  

  Capric 
  Acid. 
  

  

  Capric 
  acid, 
  as 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  I 
  have 
  described, 
  is 
  a 
  solid, 
  white, 
  and 
  

   crystalline 
  compound, 
  having 
  a 
  faint 
  odour, 
  and 
  fuses 
  readily 
  when 
  taken 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  fingers. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  soluble 
  in 
  cold 
  ether 
  and 
  alcohol, 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  crys- 
  

   tallize 
  from 
  these 
  solutions. 
  It 
  is 
  insoluble 
  in 
  cold 
  water, 
  but 
  dissolves 
  sparingly 
  

   in 
  boiling 
  water, 
  and 
  crystallizes 
  from 
  this 
  solution 
  on 
  cooling 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   scales. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  soluble 
  without 
  decomposition 
  when 
  boiled 
  with 
  concentrated 
  

   nitric 
  acid, 
  and 
  is 
  precipitated 
  from 
  this 
  solution 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  water. 
  It 
  is 
  

   obtained 
  in 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  needle-shaped 
  crystals 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  water 
  to 
  the 
  alco- 
  

   holic 
  solution. 
  Its 
  specific 
  gravity 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  crystallized 
  

   acid 
  commences 
  to 
  fuse 
  at 
  81° 
  Fahr., 
  and 
  the 
  mercury 
  of 
  the 
  thermometer 
  conti- 
  

   nues 
  to 
  rise 
  to 
  about 
  116° 
  Fahr. 
  before 
  the 
  whole 
  is 
  completely 
  fused. 
  When 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  cool, 
  it 
  becomes 
  solid 
  at 
  81° 
  Fahr. 
  The 
  fused 
  acid 
  is 
  slightly 
  coloured, 
  

   and 
  has 
  a 
  faint 
  smell 
  ; 
  it 
  becomes 
  crystalline 
  on 
  cooling. 
  This 
  fusing 
  point 
  

   differs 
  from 
  that 
  generally 
  given. 
  Gorgey 
  gives 
  it 
  at 
  86° 
  Fahr., 
  and 
  others 
  have 
  

   stated 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  from 
  6(T 
  to 
  66° 
  Fahr. 
  These 
  differences 
  probably 
  arise 
  from 
  im- 
  

   pure 
  acids 
  having 
  been 
  used. 
  For 
  analysis 
  the 
  crystallized 
  acid 
  dried 
  in 
  vacuo 
  

   over 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  was 
  employed. 
  

  

  