332 
ON  THE  BYTTERIA  FEBRIFUGA. 
smell  when  made  with  lard.  By  agitation  coconut  oil  is  ahle  to 
take  up  one  third  part  of  water  or  other  liquids  more  than  lard, 
a  property  which  may  become  valuable  for  the  admixture  of  solu- 
tions of  extracts  and  salts. 
At  an  ordinary  temperature,  coconut  oil  has  the  consistency 
of  lard,  between  5  and  10°C.  (40  to  50°F.)  it  is  hard  like  suet; 
but  at  25  or  30°C.  (77  or  86°F.)  it  is  semifluid,  while  lard  does 
not  show  so  much  difference  between  these  temperature.  Dr. 
Buchner  proposes  the  addition  of  wax  in  suitable  proportions 
luring  the  hot  season  and  in  warmer  climates. 
The  peculiar  smell  of  cocoanut  oil,  according  to  Dr.  H.  v. 
Fehling,  (Annalen  d.  Chem.  u.  Pharm.  1855,  liii.  399,)  is  due  to 
caprylic  and  capronic  acid,  both  which  volatile  acids  accompany 
it  in  very  small  quantity.  The  amount  of  the  first  is  much 
greater  than  that  of  the  latter  ;  caprylic  acid,  however,  has  but  a 
faint  smell,  while  that  of  the  capronic  acid  is  much  stronger,  and 
to  it  really  the  cocoanut  oil  owes  its  peculiar  perfume. 
The  white  cocoanut  oil  of  commerce  usually  requires  no  other 
treatment  to  adapt  it  for  medicinal  purposes,  except  to  remelt  it 
by  a  moderate  heat  and  strain  it  through  linen.  That  which 
has  not  the  desired  whiteness  and  purity  may  be  melted,  digested 
with  coarsely  powered  charcoal,  and  afterwards  filtered  through 
paper,  which  may  be  easily  accomplished  as  it  remains  liquid 
for  some  time  even  far  below  its  melting  point,  and  therefore  in  a 
moderately  warm  place  does  not  present  any  difficulty  for  the 
filtering  process.  The  digestion  with  charcoal  for  several  hours 
also  reduces  considerably  its  peculiar  smell. — Buchner  s  N.  Re- 
pertorium,  1856,  485-488.  J.  M.  M. 
ON  THE  BYTTERIA  FEBRIFUGA,  AND  ITS  ACTIVE  PRINCIPLE. 
By  M.  Gerardias. 
For  a  long  time  the  inhabitants  of  the  Antilles  have  used,  to 
cure  the  intermittent  fevers  to  which  they  are  subject,  a  bitter 
wood,  furnished  by  a  tree  which  grows  in  Saint  Martin,  and 
which  is  known  in  that  island  by  the  common  name  of  bitter  ash. 
M.  Amic,  physician  in  chief  in  the  island  of  Martinique,  wish- 
ing to  ascertain  the  origin  of  this  wood  and  the  proximate  prin- 
ciple to  which  it  owes  its  properties,  directed  M.  Gerardias, 
