ON THE OIL OF GRAIN SPIRIT. 
353 
21-81 
20 = 
21-55 
2-31 
13 
2-33 
1592 
11 
15-80 
5996 
3 
60-32 
Carbon, - 
Hydrogen, - 
Oxygen, - 
Oxide of lead, 
The aqueous solution of the coloring matter gives with salts of 
copper a green, with lime or barytic water a yellow precipitate. 
Saffron likewise contains a volatile oil, to which it owes its 
peculiar odor. On distillation with water, a yellow oil passes 
over, which is specifically lighter than water, has an agreeable 
smell, but after a short time forms a whitish mass, which sinks to 
the bottom. 
On evaporating an ethereal tincture of saffron, a yellowish fatty 
substance is left behind, which on treatment with hot water yields 
on cooling a snow-white mass, the melting-point of which is situa- 
ted at about 118°. It dissolves in boiling alcohol, from which it 
crystallizes in part on cooling. 
Saffron also contains grape-sugar and an apparently new acid. 
On being burnt, it furnished 8*93 per cent, of an alkaline ash, 
which contained carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, silica, phosphoric 
acid, chlorides, lime, magnesia, potash and soda. — Chem. Gaz. 
from Liebig's Annalen. 
ON THE OIL OF GRAIN SPIRIT, OR FUSEL OIL. 
By Edtvard N. ILext. 
The oil of grain spirit has recently attracted considerable at- 
tention from the fact of its being the basis of a number of artifi- 
cial perfumes or essences, one of which has been extensively used 
under the name of banana or pear essence. 
The crude oil, as is well known, consists principally of hydra- 
ted oxide of amyl, mixed with more or less acohol, and small 
quantities of other substances, the nature of which is not gener- 
ally known, though it has been asserted that cenanthic ether and 
cenanthic acid may be found among them. To obtain the latter 
articles was a desired object, and that which led to the subject of 
this paper. 
31 
