AFeb£la^  VmT' }      The  Oil  of  Argemone  Mexicana.  51 
116.4  c.c.  oi~  alcoholic  potash  (calculated)  were  required  for 
the  saponification  of  3.4828  gms.  of  oil;  hence  the  saponification 
value  is  185.5.  The  saponification  obtained  by  Crossley  and  Le  Sueur 
is  187.8-190.3. 
The  oil  was  acetylated  by  boiling  with  acetic  anhydride  and 
purified,  then  dried  with  anhydrous  Sodium  Sulphate.   3.23  gms.  of 
oil  thus  obtained  required  122  c.c.  (calculated)  of       potash  for 
complete  saponification.  The  saponification  value  of  the  acetylated 
oil  was  213.4  and  deducting  from  this  185.5,  the  saponification  value, 
we  got  27.9  as  the  acetyl  value. 
The  oil  contained  a  large  proportion  of  free  fatty  acid  for  which 
determination  3.5998  gms.  of  oil  was  dissolved  in  50  c.c.  of  neutral- 
ized alcohol  and  a  little  phenolphthalein  solution  added  and  titrated 
with  -j^  alkali.    It  was  found  that  94.3  c.c.  was  necessary  for 
neutralization,  hence  the  acid  value  is  146.  Two  specimens  of  oil 
were  examined  by  Crossley  and  Lie  Sueur  who  found  6.0  and  83.9 
as  the  acid  value. 
In  the  aqueous  solution  left  after  the  decomposition  of  the  soap 
with  an  acid,  the  presence  of  the  following  fatty  acids  was  proved 
(1)  acetic  acid  proved  by  the  Cacodyl  test  and  (2)  valeric  acid  by 
the  formation  of  the  ester. 
In  a  weighed  flask  2.3696  gms.  of  oil  was  taken  and  dissolved  in 
50  c.c.  of  chloroform,  and  Bromine  gradually  added  till  no  further 
absorption  took  place.  It  was  then  evaporated  off  on  the  water  bath 
and  dried.  The  weight  of  the  brominated  oil  now  was  4.7912  or 
the  increase  in  weight  was  102.2  per  cent.   This  is  the  bromine  value. 
The  iodine  value  of  the  oil  is  106.7.  That  obtained  by  Crossley 
and  Le  Sueur  is  119,91-122.5. 
2.7  gms.  of  oil  was  saponified,  then  decomposed  with  dilute 
sulphuric  acid  and  submitted  to  steam  distillation.    0.33  c.c.  ©f-^ 
alkali  was  required  for  neutralization  of  100  c.c.  distillate.  There- 
fore the  Reichert-Meisel  value  is  0.61. 
From  1.8426  gms.  of  oil  the  author  obtained  1.7295  gms.  of  a 
mixture  of  insoluble  fatty  acids  and  unsaponifiable  matters.  The 
Hehner's  value  is  94.02.   The  above  authors  obtained  95.07. 
The  glycerol  was  estimated  by  the  Benedikt  and  Zsismondy 
process.    This  consists  in  oxidizing  the  glycerol  to  oxalic  acid  by 
