﻿Skey. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Movements 
  of 
  Camphor 
  on 
  Water. 
  473 
  

  

  our 
  oxygenated 
  oils 
  yield 
  alkaloids 
  to 
  a 
  process 
  wliicli 
  hitherto 
  has 
  been 
  

   considered 
  applicable 
  to 
  hydro-carbon 
  oils 
  alone, 
  and 
  even 
  of 
  these 
  but 
  

   very 
  few. 
  

  

  I 
  should 
  inform 
  you 
  that 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  oils, 
  etc., 
  cited 
  above, 
  when 
  tested 
  

   for 
  alkaloidal 
  matter 
  gave 
  any 
  indication 
  of 
  its 
  presence, 
  although 
  I 
  operated 
  

   in 
  each 
  case 
  upon 
  the 
  same 
  quantity 
  of 
  oil 
  as 
  that 
  I 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  aniline 
  

   process. 
  

  

  The 
  constitution 
  and 
  precise 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  alkaloid 
  or 
  alkaloids 
  I 
  

   have 
  thus 
  formed 
  I 
  cannot 
  at 
  present 
  describe 
  to 
  you, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  the 
  

   leisure 
  to 
  prosecute 
  this 
  investigation 
  to 
  the 
  end. 
  I 
  hope 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  this 
  

   subject 
  on 
  some 
  future 
  day, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  meantime 
  I 
  shall 
  be 
  glad 
  to 
  hear 
  of 
  

   any 
  one 
  continuing 
  the 
  research, 
  as 
  it 
  can 
  hardly 
  fail 
  to 
  give 
  results 
  of 
  

   great 
  interest. 
  

  

  PosTSCEiPT. 
  — 
  I 
  have 
  further 
  pursued 
  my 
  investigations 
  of 
  this 
  subject, 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  alternatives 
  I 
  have 
  submitted 
  to 
  you 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  

   derivation 
  of 
  the 
  alkaloid 
  I 
  produce 
  by 
  this 
  process, 
  I 
  accept 
  that 
  which 
  

   assumes 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  product 
  of 
  some 
  hydro-carbon 
  or 
  hydro-carbons 
  present 
  

   in 
  the 
  oil 
  or 
  fat 
  employed. 
  I 
  have 
  produced 
  alkaloids 
  by 
  this 
  process 
  from 
  

   well-washed 
  butter, 
  the 
  purest 
  sperm, 
  and 
  olive 
  oils 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  now 
  make 
  the 
  

   general 
  statement 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  present 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  fixed 
  oils 
  or 
  fats, 
  whether 
  

   of 
  vegetable 
  or 
  animal 
  origin, 
  whether 
  in 
  the 
  organism 
  or 
  removed 
  from 
  it, 
  

   a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  hydro-carbon 
  oils, 
  and 
  that 
  these, 
  or 
  at 
  

   least 
  some 
  of 
  them, 
  are 
  homologous 
  with 
  benzol. 
  

  

  Aet. 
  LXXXI. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Cause 
  of 
  the 
  Movements 
  of 
  Cam]phor 
  when 
  placed 
  upon 
  

  

  the 
  Surface 
  of 
  Water. 
  By 
  AVilliam 
  Skey. 
  

  

  {Read, 
  before 
  the 
  Wellington 
  Fhilosopliical 
  Society/, 
  31st 
  August, 
  1878.] 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  long 
  since 
  been 
  known 
  that 
  camphor 
  in 
  small 
  pieces 
  describes 
  rapid 
  

   and 
  very 
  eccentric 
  movements 
  when 
  placed 
  upon 
  water, 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  

   which 
  is 
  free 
  of 
  oily 
  matter. 
  This 
  phenomenon 
  is 
  so 
  singular,* 
  and 
  is, 
  

   besides, 
  so 
  striking 
  to 
  him 
  who 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  witnesses 
  it, 
  that 
  such 
  an 
  

   one 
  can 
  hardly 
  help 
  feeling 
  anxious 
  to 
  become 
  acquainted 
  with 
  its 
  cause, 
  

  

  * 
  I 
  have 
  since 
  discovered 
  that 
  the 
  liquid 
  bi-sulphide 
  of 
  camphor 
  behaves 
  in 
  this 
  

   respect 
  like 
  camphor. 
  If 
  the 
  water 
  used 
  with 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  clear 
  from 
  greasy 
  matter, 
  it 
  

   spreads 
  in 
  various 
  directions 
  by 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  explosive 
  efforts 
  ; 
  but 
  if 
  the 
  water 
  contains 
  a 
  

   minute 
  quantity 
  of 
  grease 
  (as 
  it 
  will 
  do 
  if 
  especial 
  precautions 
  are 
  not 
  taken), 
  the 
  sulphide 
  

   of 
  camjDhor, 
  after 
  a 
  little 
  while, 
  rotates 
  slowly 
  round 
  its 
  centre, 
  then 
  rotating 
  progressively 
  

   aster, 
  it 
  at 
  last 
  strikes 
  off 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  Une, 
  leaving 
  a 
  greasy 
  narrow 
  streak 
  behind, 
  

   which 
  is 
  permanent. 
  

  

  a80 
  

  

  