96 
MR. BRODIE ON MYRICIN. 
The products of the distillation of melissin are analogous to those of the distillation 
of cerotin. The substance partly distils over unaltered, and is partly, with the loss 
of water, converted into solid hydrocarbon. Sulphuric acid also combines with it 
under the same conditions as with the other wax-alcohol. 
Palmitic Acid from the Saponification of Myricin. 
Melissin is soluble with such great difficulty, in every solvent suitable for washing 
out the baryta salt from the wax soap, that its separation from the acid cannot in 
this manner be effected. It may however be separated by simple crystallization. 
The alcoholic solution (p. 278) from which the melissin has crystallized out, after 
having been considerably concentrated and again filtered from any precipitate pro- 
duced on cooling, contains hardly a trace, if any, of that substance. The acids are 
very soluble in alcohol, and it is only on great concentration that they crystallize 
from that solvent. The alcohol is to be distilled off to the point of crystallization, 
and the first portions only of the fat acid selected for the preparation of the pure 
substance. The acid is to be boiled with potash, combined with baryta, and washed 
out with ether. 
On decomposing the baryta salt with hydrochloric acid, a fat acid separates, having 
the appearance of margaric or palmitic acid, which latter body is in truth the prin- 
cipal acid of the wax. It is however mixed with another acid of a lower melting- 
point, for which reason it is desirable, as I have mentioned, to use in its preparation 
only the first crystallization of the acid. From this other body it is separable with 
the greatest difficulty ; but by long-continued crystallization from ether, an acid 
may be obtained of the melting-point of 62° C., beyond which point it cannot be 
raised. This acid gave to analysis the following results : — 
CO^. 
HO. 
I. 0'2486 grm. gave 
0*6877 
0*278 
II. 0*2605 grm. gave 
0*7145 
0*290 
III. 0*2542 grm. gave 
0*6937 
0*2847 
giving per cent. — 
I. 
II. 
III. 
Carbon 75’42 
74*80 
74*43 
Hydrogen 12*43 
12*36 
12*43 
Oxygen 12*15 ' 
12*84 
12*14 
100*00 
100*00 
100*00 
The silver salt was made as in the other cases 
by precipitation from the ammo- 
niacal solution of the acid. 
I. 0*6885 grm. of this salt gave . . 
. 
0*2005 silver. 
II. 0'66025 grm. of the same gave . 
. 
0*1920 silver. 
III. 0*623 grm. of anotlier preparation gave . 
0*182 silver. 
IV. 0*609 grm. of the same gave . 
. 
0*17625 silver. 
V. 0*671 grm. of another preparation gave . 
0*197 silver. 
VI. 0*744 grm. of the same gave . 
. 
0*2185 silver. 
