sulphuric acid and alcohol , &c. 247 
When oil of wine is heated in a solution of potash, or if 
heated in water merely, the excess of hydrocarbon above 
that necessary to constitute the acid, forming the salts I have 
described, is liberated in the form of an oil, not unlike in ap- 
pearance castor oil, having but little fluidity when cold, and 
in some cases partially crystallizing. When gently heated it 
is beautifully bright, and of an amber colour ; the vapour has 
an agreeable pungent and aromatic smell ; it evaporates at a 
temperature a little above that of boiling water ; burns with 
a brilliant flame, throwing off some carbon ; its specific 
gravity is about 9, water being 10 ; it is insoluble in water, 
very soluble in ether, somewhat less so in alcohol. 
Several analytical experiments were made upon this sub- 
stance with similar results. When decomposed by oxide of 
copper, 0,72 of a grain gave 4,85 cubic inches of carbonic 
acid gas and ,85 of a grain of water ; 4,85 cubic inches of 
carbonic acid gas are equal to 0,6164 of a grain of carbon, 
and the 0,85 of a grain of water to 0,09444 of a grain of 
hydrogen ; 100 parts should therefore be composed of 
Carbon 85,61 
Hydrogen 13,116. 
There is here some trifling loss ; if that be supposed to 
be hydrogen, this oily matter is precisely similar in the pro- 
portions of its elements to olefiant gas. 
The crystals which spontaneously separate from oil of 
wine were next examined; they were prismatic, and re- 
sembled precisely in all their characters, except their solid 
form, the fluid substance just described. They fused at a 
temperature a little above that of boiling water. After puri- 
fying a portion by pressing them in blotting paper, to remove 
