407 
DISCOVERY OE THEINE IN’ KOLA. NUTS. 
Professor Bentley said that he had been requested by Dr. Daniell to announce 
to the meeting that evening the important and interesting discovery of Theine 
in the Kola nuts of commerce (Sterculia acuminata). Dr. Daniell had written to 
him as follows:—“My attention was directed to the peculiar stimulant effects 
resulting from taking a decoction of the seeds, in the permanent loss of sleep, 
which led me to infer from physiological induction that these seeds contained 
an alkaloid analogous to theine, and on a chemical examination with a view to 
the discovery of that substance, I obtained a number of small, silky, needle-like 
crystals, which proved to be that alkaloid. On my arrival in England, I placed 
in the hands of Dr. Attfield samples of the fragments of the nuts, stating that 
they produced theine, and wished him to test the validity of my conclusions. 
I am happy to state he has fully confirmed my discovery.” Professor Bentley 
added that Dr. Daniell ;would read a paper on the subject at the next Pharma¬ 
ceutical meeting, and also that Dr. Attfield would at the same time give the 
details of his analysis of Kola nuts. Professor Bentley thought it probable that 
the alkaloid thus obtained, from the near botanical affinity of the genus producing 
it to that from which cocoa and chocolate were obtained, might be theobromine 
instead of theine, although the appearance of the crystals, it must be admitted, 
was more that of theine. 
ON THE PURIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF ALMONDS. 
BY WILLIAM A. TILDEN, 
DEMONSTRATOR IN THE LABORATORY OE THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
Among the numerous processes that have been suggested for the purification 
of essential oil of almonds from the prussic acid that it invariably contains, I 
believe there are none that are completely satisfactory, and some short time ago I 
was induced to make a few experiments in a new direction, with a view to finding 
a process for the purification of this essential oil that should not be subject to the 
objections to which the others are liable. Although I believe I have been to a 
certain extent successful, I wish merely to present some suggestions in order that 
some one who may have opportunities of working on a larger scale may, if so 
minded, repeat my experiments. 
I have several times made use of a process founded upon a long-known reac¬ 
tion, and which consists in splitting up the hydrocyanic acid into formic acid 
and ammonia with the assistance of the elements of water,— 
IIC 2 N + 2II 2 0 2 = N H 3 + C 2 H 2 0 4 , 
this change being effected by the action of a strong mineral acid. 
Now when this decomposition is brought about in the presence of hydride of 
benzoyl, the formic acid is not set at liberty, but unites with the elements of the 
hydride, producing a conjugate acid, to which the name formo-benzoylic acid has 
been applied. 
Its composition is represented by the following formula :—C 14 II G 0 2 , C 2 H 2 Q 4 . 
This body is easily formed by boiling a mixture of the distilled water of bitter 
almonds and hydrochloric acid, sal-ammoniac being, of course, at the same time 
produced according to this equation— 
Ci 4 H g O, + IIC 2 N + HC1 + 2 H 2 0 2 = NII 4 Cl + C 14 II G 0 2 , C 2 H 2 0 4 . 
I imagined that if the formation of this substance, this acid, which of course takes 
a large proportion of hydride of benzoyl, could be prevented or diminished, this 
might prove a practicable process for the destruction of the hydrocyanic acid in 
the essence of almonds. I have not succeeded, by any means that I have tried, 
in preventing altogether the loss of hydride of benzoyl in this form, but I think 
it'may be effected to a considerable extent. The method I have pursued is as 
