RESEARCHES  ON  THE  ETHERS. 
121 
some  success,  he  next  examined  the  Mimulus  moschatus,  a  Colum- 
bian plant,  cultivated  in  Belgium,  which  yields  an  essential  oil  by 
distillation,  which  Dr.  Hannon  calls  vegetable  musk.  Regarding 
the  physiological  effects  of  this  vegetable  musk,  Mr.  Hannon  says : 
"  Taken  in  doses  of  two  or  three  drops,  this  essential  oil  exerts  an 
energetic  excitant  action  on  the  intestinal  canal,  and  on  the  brain. 
In  a  state  of  health  it  caused  vertigo,  cephalagia,  dryness  in  the 
pharynx  and  in  the  oesophagus,  heaviness  over  the  epigastrium  and 
eructations.  M.  Hannon  considers  it  applicable  in  hysteria  and 
analogous  complaints  depending  directly  on  the  nervous  system. 
He  believes  it  may  replace  the  animal  product  and  may  be  given  in 
doses  of  two  to  four  drops  in  twenty  four  hours. 
On  the  preparation  of  Oil  of  Morphia — M.  St.  Lager  says  the 
oil  of  morphia  is  habitually  prepared  by  adding  a  concentrated  so 
lution  of  acetate  of  morphia  to  olive  or  almond  oil,  and  mixing 
by  agitation.  The  morphia  solution  separates  on  standing,  and 
when  the  mixture  is  applied  to  the  skin  the  oil  prevents  the  watery- 
solution  from  being  absorbed  and  consequently  from  exerting  its 
activity.  M.  St.  Lager  proposes  to  employ  pure  morphia  in  lieu 
of  the  acetic  salt.  He  dissolves  the  morphia  in  a  little  chloroform, 
adds  the  solution  to  the  oil,  and  thus  obtains  a  "  complete  solu- 
tion of  a  perfectly  homogeneous  composition." 
RESEARCHES  ON  THE  ETHERS. 
By  M.  Berthelot. 
I.  Formation  of  the  Compound  Ethers  by  means  of  Ethers  and 
Acids. 
Can  ether,  formed  at  the  expense  of  alcohol  by  elimination  of 
water,  reproduce  the  alcohol  whence  it  has  arisen,  or  at  least  the 
combinations  of  which  this  alcohol  forms  an  integral  part?  This 
question  has  been  proposed  more  than  once  ;  and  in  spite  of  cer- 
tain facts  repeatedly  announced,  it  is  not,  I  think,  regarded  as  set- 
tled. Nevertheless  it  is  not  perhaps  without  some  importance.  In 
fact,  in  a  theory  widely  received,  the  compound  ethers  are  repre- 
sented by  an  anhydrous  acid  combined  with  oxide  of  ethyle,  a 
substance  isomerous  or  identical  with  ether.  The  direct  produc- 
tion of  the  compound  ethers  by  means  of  ether  and  the  acids  has 
a  tendency  to  support  this  view,  although  it  is  also  susceptible  of 
other  explanations. 
