56 ON VOLATILE ACIDS IN VIBURNUM OPULUS. 
with water to which some sulphuric acid had been added. 
4 lbs. of bark yielded 40 quarts of acid liquid. The dis- 
tillate was saturated with carbonate of socla and evaporat- 
ed, when an'oil having the odour of Viburnum volatilized. 
The concentrated liquid was again distilled with sulphuric 
acid to obtain the pure acid; it separated partly in oily drops 
on the surface of the distillate, and was partly dissolved in 
it. The drops of oil had the peculiar and strong odour of 
cheese, as well as the other properties of valerianic acid ; 
the barytic and zinc salts crystallized from the hot solution 
in pearly laminae, the silver salt in fine dendritic crystals- 
The entire distillate was saturated with ammonia and treat- 
ed with nitrate of silver ; it yielded a beautiful white light 
crystalline precipitate. This precipitate when boiled be- 
came black, probably from a small quantity of formic acid 
which had been formed, but beautifully white crystals sepa- 
rated from the filtered liquid. The first salt which crystal- 
lized was that of the volatile acid of Viburnum Opulus, 
viz. valerianate of silver; the salt which separated from the 
mother-ley was pure acetate of silver. 
The valerinnate was readily separated from the acetate 
by recrystallization, owing to its sparing solubility. On 
analysis it yielded — 
Carbon, 
2S-65 
10 
== 750-0 
28.69 
Hydrogen, 
4-33 
9 
1125 
4-30 
Oxygen, - 
11-55 
o 
O 
300-0 
11-47 
Silver, 
55-47 
1 
1451-6 
55 54 
The acid discovered by Chevreul in the berries of Vibur- 
num Opulns consequently occurs likewise in the bark ; and 
the acid considered as distinct by Kramer is identical with 
valerianic acid. — Chem. Gaz, from Jinn, der Chem. und 
Pharm. 
