76 
MISCELLANY. 
tilled the young twigs of the Pinus Abies, deprived of their leaflets, with 
water. He obtained a thin colorless oil, which boiled at 320° Fahr., 
and diffused the odour of the young leaves of the Norway spruce fir-tree ; 
t became, on exposure to the air, soon resinous, and was not changed 
on distillation with a moderately strong solution of potash. Distilled 
with crystallized fused hydrate of potash, it assumed the odour of oil of 
turpentine, and the potash then contained resin. The rough anhydrous 
oil consists of 87.07 carbon, and 11.89 hydrogen; a portion distilled 
separately yielded 87.4 carbon, and 11.77 hydrogen. It therefore con- 
sists of a large proportion of oil free from oxygen, and of an oil contain- 
ing but little oxygen. Potassium disengages but little oxygen from it, 
and then maintains its metallic lustre. A small quantity of a brownish 
substance is formed. The oil, after this treatment, has a more agreea- 
ble odour resembling the oil of lemons or oranges; it is fluid, burns 
with a bright flame, and has a specific weight 0.850 at 68° Fahr. ; it 
boils at 332°, absorbs much muriatic acid, but does not enter into any 
solid combination at 32° Fahr., and consists then of 88.38 carbon, and 
11.78 hydrogen, like the oil of tmpentme.—Ibidfrom Ibid. 
On the composition of the Oil of Horse- Radish. (Oleum armor arise.) By 
Carl Hubatka. — The root of the horse-radish was cut into thin slices, 
and distilled several times with water; 100 pounds of the root yielded 
from five to seven drachms of volatile oil. 
When pure, the oil has a specific weight=1.01 ; and is of pungent 
odour, resembling the oil of mustard. It acts powerfully as a local irri- 
tant, reddening the skin to which it is applied ; it is soluble in spirit 
and ether, but slightly so in water. Chlorine changes the oil into a 
thick dark mass, with the development of muriatic acid, sulphur, and 
chlorine. Treated with alcohol, a viscid mass remains with the odour 
of melted sulphur. Concentrated nitric acid reacts very powerfully on 
the oil formiug nitro-sinapylic resin. Liquid sulphuric acid has a pow- 
erful reaction with it, developing sulphurous acid. With ammonia, it 
forms a white crystalline combination, like the oil of mustard. Digested 
with fresh oxide of lead, and evaporated in a water-bath, sulphate of 
lead is obtained, and a substance resembling sinapoline. In odour, spe- 
cific weight and reaction, the oil of horse-radish bears so strong a re- 
semblance to the oil of mustard, that analysis could but corroborate their 
identity. 
0.3328 grains of oil of horse-radish gave, 
Carbon 0.5858, and water 0.1575. 
This would correspond with the composition of the oil of mustard, 
which is, 
