MR. BRODIE ON MYRICIN. 
99 
These numbers prove the identity of the acid from the distillation of myricin with 
that obtained from the saponification of that substance (p. 283). 
There are great difficulties in the way of obtaining even a sufficient quantity of this 
acid for the determination of its formula. To obtain even a very small portion of it 
of which the purity may be relied on, it is necessary to operate on a large quantity 
of the impure acid : for the preparation of this pure myricin is required, free from 
cerotic acid, which it is not easy to get in any quantity. 
These difficulties have prevented me making any further experiments with this 
acid, the identity of which however with palmitic acid, as obtained by Fremy and 
Stenhouse from palm oil, and by Sthamer from Japan wax, is made out. I subjoin, 
for the sake of comparison, the silver determination of the silver salt of the palmitic 
acid as obtained by these chemists. 
Fremy*. STENHousEf. SthamerJ. 
Silver, per cent. . . 29‘60 29‘23 29’42 29‘28 29‘51 
This acid appears also to be the same as the acid obtained by Varrentrapp'^ from 
the oxidation of oleic acid by means of lime and potash, which also had the melting- 
point of 62° C. The silver determinations of this acid gave as the per-centage of silver, 
29-27 29-45 29-13, 
numbers identical with my own. 
Melen. 
It is well known that one of the principal products of the dry distillation of wax 
is a solid hydrocarbon. Ettling, who first analysed this substance ||, concluded froln 
its melting-point, analysis, and general appearance, that it was identical with paraffin, 
a hydrocarbon then recently discovered by Reichenbach in the products of the dry 
distillation of wood. The wax hydrocarbon has therefore borne the name of paraffin. 
This substance was supposed, from the analyses of Ettling and J. Gay-Lussac, 
to be isomeric with olefiant gas. 
Recently, however, this has been contested by Lewy, who analysed paraffin from 
various sources, and showed it, as he conceived, to contain a larger amount of hydro- 
gen than had been previously supposed. In truth the average of his analyses gave, — 
Carbon 85-03 
Hydrogen 14-87 
99-90 
numbers inconsistent with the old idea. The question however is, whether M. Lewy 
experimented with a pure chemical substance, for which there is no guarantee. 
* Liebig’s Annalen, vol. xxxvi. p. 45. Silver determinations, V. VI. VII. 
t Ibid. p. 52. The mean of five determinations closely agreeing. This acid melted at 60° C. 
+ Ibid. vol. xliii. p. 342. The mean of three determinations. 
§ Ibid. vol. XXXV. p. 209. 1| Ibid. vol. ii. p. 259. 
