148 
IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
that of olive oil. Four saponifications were made by Koetstorfer’s method which 
resulted as follows: 
Amount 
Taken 
Time 
Heated 
Saponiflcat’n 
Equivalent 
1 
0.857 
2 
612 
2 
0.858 
4 
343 
^ 
2'. 302’ 
12 
291 
4 . 
3.1605 
303 
The results indicate that the oil is difficult to saponify, and that complete 
saponification takes place only after continued heating. The figures show that 
the oil is one of the oleins in the same group as castor oil, almond oil and 
olive oil. The conclusion accords well with the physical characteristics. 
The products of the third saponification were separated. The soapy solution 
after saponification was diluted with distilled water, and a quantity of ether 
was added which dissolved the unsaponifiable portion. This was separated 
from the liquid, evaporated to constant weight and found to be 0.0483 grams. 
This residue was dissolved in hot alcohol and filtered, and left to evaporate 
spontaneously. A few minute crystals separated out which were supposed to 
be chloresterol. 
After separating the ethereal layer, the remaining liquid was acidified with 
sulphuric acid and slightly heated, whereupon the fatty acids liberated by 
saponification collected upon the top of the liquid. These were separated and 
boiled with distilled water for several hours. They were afterwards separated 
from the water, dried on the water bath, and found to weigh 3.6033 grams 
more than the amount of oil at first taken. The increase of weight is due, 
doubtless, to the oxidation of the acids. Two distinct acids appeared, one very 
clear and odorless, which crystallized in a freezing mixture to fine needles, and 
melted at about 4°, the other was a yellow limpid liquid with an odor resem- 
bling lard. This last crystallized at a low temperature, but we did not succeed 
in finding the melting point. Judging from the descriptions given in the 
literature, the clear acid seems to be oleic, and the yellow one is linoleic. 
Both reacted acid to litmus paper. 
An attempt was made to obtain the weight of the soluble fatty acids. The 
acidified liquid was first separated from the insoluble fatty acids, and the dis- 
tillate exactly neutralized by normal caustic soda, using phenolphthalein as 
an indicator. The washings from the insoluble acids were now added to the 
contents of the fiask and again distilled to a small bulk. This distillate like- 
wise was neutralized with normal caustic soda. The two distillates were 
evaporated to dryness to constant weight. The number of centimetres used in 
the neutralization was multiplied by 0.022, and the product subtracted from 
the constant weight. The result was unsatisfactory. Each fruit bears a single 
fiat stone which undoubtedly contains the oils. We obtained in all 14.5667 
grams of oil from 225 grams of the original fruit or 6.47 per cent. 
THE PROTEINS. 
Some of the berries were crushed and boiled in distilled water for a short 
time. A small amount of this solution was heated with nitric acid, giving a 
yellow color, which became an orange red when made alkaline. This showed 
the presence of albumen. 
