Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1389. 
Oil  of  Camphor. 
275 
On  agitating  the  oil  with  water  the  latter  absorbed  the  acidity, 
which  was  found  by  appropriate  tests  to  be  due  to  acetic  and  formic 
acids.  The  same  portion  of  oil  after  agitation  with  water  was  boiled 
for  some  hours  with  an  aqueous  solution  of  potassium  hydrate  in  a 
flask  attached  to  an  inverted  condenser.  The  resulting  potassium  com- 
pound, decomposed  by  a  mineral  acid,  separated  into  two  layers.  The 
aqueous  layer  was  distilled,  and  in  the  distillate  butyric  acid  was 
found,  besides  acetic  and  formic  acids  as  above. 
Three  litres  of  the  oil  were  fractionated  in  vacuo  and  the  distillate 
collected  in  four  portions  as  follows  : — 
1.  — 20  percent,  obtained  between  90°-]  10°  C.  in  vacuo, or  180°-200°  C  ord.  pres. 
2.  -35       "  "  "      J10°-120°C.         "  200°-210°C. 
3.  -2.5      "  "  "      120°-130°C.         "  210°-220°C. 
4.  — 20      "  "  "      130°-150°C.         "  220°-240°C. 
A  small  amount  of  resinous  residue  remained.  A  quantity  of  the 
oil  was  also  distilled  at  ordinary  pressure,  but  this  method  resulted  in 
decreasing  the  amount  of  the  higher  boiling  fractions  and  rendering 
them  more  empyreumatic.  It  was  found,  however,  after  the 
original  oil  was  once  fractioned,  that  the  lightest  portions  could  with 
advantage  be  distilled  at  the  ordinary  pressure,  but  those  of  higher 
boiling  points  decomposed  and  the  use  of  the  vacuum  was  continued 
with  them  through  all  the  rectifications.  By  redistilling  the  above 
four  fractions,  the  lightest  ones  over  sodium,  until  nearly  constant 
boiling  points  were  obtained,  the  following  fractions  resulted : 
Boiling  point. 
Fraction  A. — 145°-155°  C  
B. — 158°-161°  C   159° 
C— 161°-167°  C  
D.  — 167°-169°  C   168° 
E.  — 170°-171°  C   171° 
F.  — 171°-175°  C  
G.  — 175°-177°  C   176° 
H.  — 177°-180°  C  
J. — 180°-182°  C   180° 
K. — 182°-202°  C  
L. — 202°-206°  C   204° 
"       M. — 206°-212°  C  
N. — 212°-214°  C   213° 
O.— 214°-230°  C  
"        P.— 230°-235°  C       232° 
Q.— 235°-245°  C  
R. — 245°-248°  C   247° 
S.— 250°-280°  C  Green  oil 
