September, 1908.] 



217 



Oils and Fats. 



Peckolt in 1878 separated argemonine. 

 In 1902 J. O. Schlotterbeck (Journ. Am. 

 Cheiu. Soc. 24, 238) investigated the seeds 

 and proved that morphine was entirely 

 absent. He found two alkaloids present ; 

 one berberine and the other protopine. 

 Peckolt's argemonine was identified 

 with the latter base. The presence of 

 notable quantities of potassium nitrate 

 among the inorganic salts was indicated. 



The oil has a light yellow colour, 

 nauseous and acrid taste and a raw 

 odour. O. Prolich (1871) obtained from 

 the oil a hard soap with soda, and found 

 in the soap liquor butyric, valerianic, 

 acetic and a little benzoic acid. Accord- 

 ing to Fliickiger (1871) the oil has the 

 specific gravity of - 919 at 1&5°C, dries 

 slowly and incompletely, and is not 

 soluble in 6 volumes of 90 per cent, alco- 

 hol. On keeping, the 1 acid value in- 

 creases, and the oil becomes more solu- 

 ble in alcohol. It gives with nitric acid 

 an orange-red colour which distinguishes 

 it from other fixed oils. 



The following constants have been 

 recorded :— 



Specific Gravity Acid value. Saponification 

 at 15 s value. 

 •9247 Crossley and 6 - Crossley and 190 - 3 Crossley and 



Le Sueur. Le Sueur. Le Sueur. 



■9435 Bloemendal 200 Bloemendal. 



190 1 



•924 Grant V Grant. 



191 J 



Iodine value. Oleo-refrietoiuer Refractive Index, 

 at 35° 



122-5 Crossley and "65 Grant V1675 Crossley and 



Le Sueur. Le at 35" Sueur. 



113-3 Bloemendal 1-452 Giant. 



113 "\ 



J- Grant 

 HI J 



The oil afforded 95*07 per cent, of fatty 

 acids melting at 22.° 



The oil dries to a hard jelly, gaining 

 during the process 8 per cent, of its 

 weight, an amount which corresponds 

 with that absorbed by poppy seed oil. 

 It then ceases to give a red colour with 

 nitric acid. 



Conclusions. 

 The properties of Argemone oil as 

 shown in the foregoing remarks and 

 chemical reactions somewhat restrict it 

 for general employment. Its acrid taste 

 and active therapeutic action preclude 

 its use for edible and culinary purposes. 

 Although not so siccati as linseed oil, it 

 has distinctly drying properties and 

 could be used for paints and for caulking 

 timber and boats when it is required to 

 keep out damp and destructive insects. 

 If obtainable at a sufficiently low price it 

 would be most serviceable for soap mak- 

 ing. The seed is said to sell in North 

 Arcot for 1 Rs. 1-4 to Rs. 2-1 per maund of 

 251b., and in Northern India the price 

 should be lower. The cake is unsuitable 

 28 



as a cattle food, but from its compo- 

 sition it would form an excellent bulk 

 manure for cultivating exhausted soil. 

 Large quantities of the seed are occa- 

 sionally brought to the markets, but at 

 present there is not much demand for it. 

 The oil seed is not one that would be 

 attractive to European commerce, but 

 there are many ways in which the oil 

 could be made serviceable iu this 

 country. The plant is so abundant that 

 an unlimited amount of oil would be 

 available should a demand arise — Agri- 

 cultural Ledger, 1907, No. 57. Vegetable 

 Product Series, No. 104. 



THE PATS OF INDIAN NUTMEGS. 



By David Hooper, p.c.s. 



Wild nutmeg seeds are occasionally 

 imported into England under the name 

 of " oil nuts," and are supplied from 

 Africa and South America where they 

 are said to be available in large quanti- 

 ties. In view of the constant and increas- 

 ing demand for oil seeds in Europe it 

 would seem desirable to examine the 

 seeds of wild nutmeg trees of India to 

 learn particulars of the amount and 

 quality of the fat they contain. It has 

 been known for many years that these 

 seeds are oleaginous, but no special in- 

 vestigation has been made of them. The 

 subject has been re-opened by the receipt 

 from Mr. H. Latham, District Forest 

 Officer, South Kanara, of a sample of the 

 seeds of Myristica canarica, with the 

 interesting information that they are 

 used by the villagers in making candles. 

 The seeds and candles were exhibited at 

 a meeting of the Asiatic Society of Ben- 

 gal held in December, 1900. They point 

 to a source of oil for illuminating and 

 other domestic purposes, and if obtain- 

 able in sufficient quantity would doubt- 

 less form a minor forest product of some 

 value. 



Further quantities of the seeds of 

 M. canarica have been received, and 

 they have been examined with those of 

 M. malabarica, which are already an 

 article of commerce in Bombay. The 

 results of the chemical examination of 

 the seeds and fat of these two indigenous 

 nutmegs are given in the following 

 pages, and their composition is compared 

 with that of wild nutmegs from other 

 countries. 



Myristica Fragrans, Houtt. — Culti- 

 vated in Penang, Malay Islands and 

 Zanzibar. The true nutmeg. 



The origin of the nutmeg and mace of 

 commerce is alluded to in this place in 

 order to draw attention to the fat which 

 is sometimes sold. The expressed oil of 



