﻿472 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Chemistry. 
  

  

  have 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  their 
  hydrogen 
  replaced 
  by 
  the 
  elements 
  of 
  nitrous 
  acid, 
  

   and 
  subsequently, 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  oxygen 
  of 
  this 
  acid 
  removed, 
  the 
  ulti- 
  

   mate 
  result 
  being 
  that 
  a 
  nitrogenous 
  substance 
  is 
  produced 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  true 
  

   alkaloid, 
  in 
  fact 
  an 
  amide, 
  that 
  is, 
  a 
  substance 
  constructed 
  upon 
  the 
  

   ammonia 
  type, 
  and 
  which, 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  those 
  produced 
  from 
  petroleum, 
  has 
  

   one 
  equivalent 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  of 
  ammonia 
  substituted 
  by 
  a 
  hydro-carbon. 
  

  

  Now, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  know, 
  this 
  process 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  applied 
  with 
  any 
  

   success 
  to 
  a 
  fixed 
  oil 
  or 
  fat, 
  if 
  applied 
  at 
  all; 
  every 
  constituent 
  of 
  such 
  

   substances 
  is 
  mdeed 
  held 
  to 
  be 
  constructed 
  so 
  differently 
  to 
  the 
  petroleums 
  

   and 
  theh 
  alhes, 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  not 
  expect 
  results 
  upon 
  them 
  at 
  all 
  similar 
  

   to 
  those 
  we 
  get 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  means 
  as 
  apphed 
  to 
  the 
  petroleums. 
  

  

  However, 
  by 
  employing 
  this 
  process 
  very 
  carefully 
  upon 
  the 
  purest 
  oHve 
  

   oil 
  I 
  could 
  get, 
  I 
  obtained 
  as 
  a 
  resultant 
  a 
  hquid 
  which 
  manifested, 
  to 
  all 
  

   the 
  tests 
  I 
  could 
  apply, 
  the 
  reaction 
  of 
  one 
  containing 
  an 
  alkaloid. 
  

  

  By 
  employing 
  Stras's 
  process, 
  to 
  this 
  liquid 
  I 
  separated 
  an 
  oily 
  body 
  

   which 
  was 
  in 
  great 
  part 
  dissolved 
  by 
  weak 
  acetic 
  acid 
  ; 
  the 
  solution 
  in 
  this 
  

   acid 
  afforded 
  dense 
  precipitates 
  with 
  tannin, 
  mercuro-iodide 
  of 
  potassium, 
  

   sulpho- 
  cyanide 
  of 
  potassium 
  and 
  zinc, 
  a 
  reddish 
  precipitate 
  with 
  free 
  iodine, 
  

   and 
  when 
  evaporated 
  with 
  platino-chloride 
  of 
  potassium 
  a 
  granular 
  yellow 
  

   precipitate 
  ; 
  this 
  precipitate, 
  when 
  washed 
  well 
  with 
  alcohol 
  to 
  dissolve 
  any 
  

   oil 
  present 
  in 
  a 
  free 
  state, 
  partially 
  fused 
  when 
  gently 
  heated, 
  and 
  then 
  

   blackened, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  heat 
  was 
  raised 
  the 
  black 
  matter 
  was 
  consumed, 
  and 
  

   a 
  grey 
  mass 
  of 
  platina 
  left. 
  

  

  These 
  results 
  clearlj^ 
  show 
  that 
  an 
  alkaloid 
  had 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  

   oil 
  used- 
  

   Several 
  other 
  vegetable 
  oils 
  gave 
  similar 
  results 
  to 
  these, 
  and 
  among 
  

   the 
  animal 
  oils, 
  cod-liver 
  oil 
  and 
  sperm 
  oil. 
  The 
  former 
  oil 
  was 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  steam, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  alkaloid 
  produced 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  referred 
  

   to 
  any 
  product 
  of 
  decomposition 
  made 
  by 
  securing 
  the 
  oil. 
  That 
  this 
  

   alkaloid 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  glycerine 
  of 
  these 
  oils 
  is 
  proved 
  by 
  my 
  

   inability 
  to 
  obtain 
  an 
  alkaloid 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  from 
  glycerine 
  itself 
  ; 
  and 
  further 
  

   by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  Price's 
  stearine, 
  as 
  sold 
  in 
  his 
  candles, 
  also 
  affords 
  me 
  this 
  

   alkaloidal 
  substance. 
  These 
  candles 
  do 
  not 
  contain 
  glycerine, 
  and 
  are 
  the 
  

   best 
  representation 
  of 
  a 
  pure 
  fat 
  which 
  I 
  can 
  at 
  present 
  get. 
  

  

  These 
  facts 
  open 
  up 
  a 
  very 
  interesting 
  field 
  for 
  research, 
  as 
  they 
  show 
  

   one 
  of 
  two 
  things, 
  viz. 
  : 
  — 
  First, 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  hydro-carbons 
  of 
  

   the 
  benzol 
  or 
  naphthaline 
  series 
  in 
  our 
  fixed 
  oils 
  and 
  fats 
  : 
  — 
  second, 
  or 
  that 
  

   the 
  acids 
  of 
  these 
  substances 
  are 
  in 
  part 
  capable 
  of 
  furnishing 
  alkaloids 
  to 
  

   the 
  aniline 
  process. 
  

  

  Whichever 
  way 
  it 
  may 
  prove 
  to 
  be, 
  the 
  matter 
  is 
  of 
  an 
  equal 
  interest, 
  

   for 
  that 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  pure 
  hydro-carbons 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  fixed 
  vegetable 
  

   and 
  animal 
  oils 
  named, 
  would 
  be 
  just 
  as 
  important 
  a 
  fact 
  to 
  know, 
  as 
  that 
  

  

  