Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
January,  1896.  J 
Beechnut  Oil. 
was  named  fagin.  The  method  given  for  its  preparation  con- 
sisted in  making  an  emulsion  of  the  oil-freed  seeds  with  water  and 
evaporating  it  to  dryness  with  calcium  hydrate  ;13  extraction  with 
alcohol  and  subsequent  purification  yielded  the  principle  which  dis- 
solved in  water  with  a  yellow  color,  and  formed  crystallizable  salts 
with  sulphuric  acid.  Biichner  and  Herberger14  had  already  investi- 
gated the  kernels,  which  had  been  reported  to  contain  hydrocyanic 
acid ;  after  a  thorough  examination  they  failed  to  find  any  hydro- 
cyanic acid,  but  mentioned  the  presence  of  a  coniine-like,  volatile 
alkaloid.  The  presence  of  this  reputed  narcotic  principle  seems  to 
have  remained  unquestioned  for  a  number  of  years,  until  BrandL 
and  Rakowiecki15  made  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  kernels,  which 
were  successively  treated  with  ether,  alcohol,  cold  and  warm  water 
and  hydrochloric  acid.  They  found,  among  other  substances  of 
minor  importance,  45  per  cent,  of  fixed  oil,  3  per  cent,  of  starch, 
albuminoids,  gum,  resin  and  a  volatile  alkaloid.  Further  examina- 
tion of  the  last-named  substance  led  to  its  identification  as  trime- 
thylamine.  The  fatty  oil,  according  to  them,  consists  principally  of 
oleic  acid,  with  a  little  stearic  and  palmitic  acids,  in  combination 
with  glycerin.  Their  conclusions  in  this  respect  have  been  upheld 
by  subsequent  investigations. 
According  to  Schaedler16  the  shelled  beech  nuts  contain,  in  100 
parts:  Oil,  21-26;  organic  substances,  64-12  (including  2400  parts 
albuminous  matter);  ash,  4-12  ;  moisture,  10-50. 
The  warm  pressed  oil  has  a  sharp  acrid  taste,  which  disappears 
after  standing,  and  which  can  be  removed  by  shaking  with  cold 
water  and  subsequent  separation.  The  oil  is  an  excellent  burning 
oil,  and  is  equal  to  olive  oil  for  culinary  purposes.  It  is  sometimes 
used  as  an  adulterant  of  almond  and  olive  oils ;  saponifying  easily 
it  yields  a  whitish  soap  of  soft  consistence,  which  turns  yellow  and 
eventually  greenish. 
In  spite  of  its  manifold  uses  and  comparative  ease  of  expression,, 
the  demand  is  always  in  excess  of  the  supply  in  regions  where  it  is 
produced ;  this  is  due  to  the  fact,  previously  mentioned,  that  the 
13 1838,  Berzelius,  Lehrbuch  der  Chemie,  Volume  VI,  p.  501.  1837,  Zanon, 
Arch,  der  Pharm.,  Vol.  II,  p.  213. 
14  1836,  Biichners  Repertorium,  57,  p.  57. 
15 1865,  Chem.  Centralblatt,  36,  p.  143. 
16 1883,  Technologie  der  Fette  und  Oele. 
