﻿Skey. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Production 
  of 
  Alkaloids 
  from 
  Fixed 
  Oils. 
  471 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  first-named 
  mercuric 
  salt, 
  and 
  that 
  such 
  precipitates 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  

   yellow 
  colour, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  striking 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  full 
  red 
  colour 
  which 
  the 
  

   precipitate 
  would 
  exhibit 
  were 
  neither 
  of 
  these 
  organic 
  substances 
  present, 
  

   since 
  this 
  precipitate 
  would 
  be 
  iodide 
  of 
  mercury 
  alone. 
  

  

  Continuing 
  my 
  researches 
  in 
  this 
  field, 
  I 
  have 
  ascertained 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  

   another 
  class 
  of 
  organic 
  bodies, 
  besides 
  alkaloids 
  and 
  albumenoids, 
  which 
  

   determine 
  a 
  yellow 
  colour 
  to 
  the 
  precipitate, 
  which 
  is 
  formed 
  when 
  aqueous 
  

   solutions 
  of 
  mercuro-iodide 
  of 
  potassium 
  and 
  mercuric-chloride 
  are 
  mixed, 
  

   and 
  this 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  essential 
  oils. 
  I 
  therefore 
  hasten 
  to 
  inform 
  you 
  of 
  

   this 
  fact, 
  and 
  to 
  acquaint 
  you 
  with 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  means 
  which 
  I 
  find 
  

   may 
  be 
  used 
  to 
  discriminate, 
  for 
  toxicological 
  purposes 
  especially, 
  the 
  

   mercurial 
  precipitates 
  so 
  coloured, 
  from 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  coloured 
  by 
  the 
  

   presence 
  therein 
  of 
  an 
  alkaloid 
  or 
  an 
  albumenoid. 
  

  

  The 
  yellow 
  mercurial 
  precipitates, 
  which 
  are 
  formed 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  in 
  

   presence 
  of 
  these 
  oils, 
  volatilize 
  entirely 
  when 
  gently 
  heated, 
  and 
  their 
  

   sublimates 
  preserve 
  their 
  yellow 
  colour, 
  even 
  when 
  kept 
  cool 
  a 
  long 
  time. 
  

   This 
  reaction 
  distinguishes 
  such 
  precipitates 
  from 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  formed 
  in 
  

   part 
  of 
  a 
  fixed 
  alkaloid, 
  also 
  of 
  an 
  albumenoid 
  ; 
  while 
  from 
  those 
  formed 
  in 
  

   part 
  of 
  a 
  volatile 
  alkaloid 
  they 
  are 
  distinguished 
  by 
  not 
  reddening 
  when 
  

   treated 
  with 
  mercuric-chloride. 
  

  

  I 
  find 
  that 
  a 
  very 
  minnte 
  quantity 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  these 
  oils 
  is 
  effective 
  for 
  

   the 
  production 
  of 
  the 
  phenomena 
  I 
  have 
  described 
  ; 
  for 
  instance, 
  one 
  part 
  

   of 
  lemon 
  oil 
  to 
  10,000 
  parts 
  of 
  water 
  will 
  jproduce 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  nitro-oils 
  behave 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way 
  as 
  the 
  essential 
  oils. 
  

   The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  mercuro-precipitate, 
  which 
  is 
  thus 
  formed 
  in 
  presence 
  

   of 
  an 
  essential 
  oil, 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  as 
  yet 
  to 
  determine 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  time. 
  

  

  Art. 
  LXXX. 
  — 
  Preliminary 
  Note 
  on 
  the 
  Production 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  Alkaloids 
  

   from 
  Fixed 
  Oils, 
  by 
  the 
  Aniline 
  Process. 
  By 
  WnjLiAM 
  Skey, 
  Analyst 
  to 
  

   the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand. 
  

  

  \Bead 
  before 
  the 
  Wellington 
  Philosophical 
  Society, 
  11th 
  and 
  31sf 
  August, 
  1878.] 
  

   My 
  late 
  successful 
  production 
  of 
  alkaloids 
  from 
  our 
  petroleums* 
  induced 
  me 
  

   to 
  apply 
  the 
  same 
  process 
  I 
  used 
  in 
  that 
  instance 
  to 
  the 
  fixed 
  oils, 
  that 
  is 
  

   the 
  process 
  I 
  name 
  in 
  the 
  title 
  of 
  this 
  paper, 
  for 
  brevity, 
  the 
  "Aniline 
  

   Process;" 
  one 
  which, 
  I 
  may 
  remind 
  you, 
  consists 
  in 
  first 
  warming 
  the 
  

   petroleum, 
  etc., 
  to 
  be 
  treated, 
  with 
  nitric 
  acid, 
  by 
  which 
  numerous 
  nitro 
  

   compounds 
  are 
  produced 
  ; 
  and, 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  place, 
  deoxidizing 
  these 
  by 
  

   nascent 
  hydrogen, 
  by 
  which 
  any 
  hydro-carbons 
  of 
  the 
  benzol 
  series 
  present 
  

   • 
  Vide 
  supra, 
  Art. 
  LXXVni, 
  

  

  