AmMayyi8F86arm-}      Volatile  Oil  of  Cicuta  Maculata.  237 
for  July,  1855,  and  by  Robert  Glenk,  ibidem,  July,  1891.  From 
their  writings  I  make  the  following  extracts : 
Essay  by  Joseph  E.  Young. — "  One  pound  of  the  bruised  seeds  were  distilled 
with  water,  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid;  7  per  cent,  of  a  colorless,  very 
limpid,  volatile  oil  passed  over,  having  an  insipid,  oily  taste,  and  an  odor  very 
analogous  to  that  of  Chenopodium  anthelminticum;  has  a  specific  gravity  of 
•853,  and  boils  at  3600  F.,  without  undergoing  any  change;  is  soluble  in  alco- 
hol, ether  and  chloroform;  it  dissolves  a  large  quantity  of  sulphur  by  heat,  and 
deposits  most  of  it  in  crystals  on  cooling;  phosphorus  is  also  readily  taken  up 
by  the  oil  with  the  aid  of  heat,  and  also  crystallizes  on  cooling;  sulphuric  acid 
decomposes  and  blackens  the  oil  with  evolution  of  heat;  muriatic  acid  gas 
passed  through  it  is  largely  absorbed,  and  decomposes  the  oil,  changing  its 
color  to  a  dark  brown  without  any  deposition  of  resin ;  and  the  same  reaction 
takes  place  with  chlorine. 
"Nitric  acid  acts  on  it  powerfully.  When  added  to  the  oil  an  explosion  fol- 
lows by  which  most  of  it  is  thrown  from  the  vessel ;  the  residue,  on  standing  a 
few  hours,  deposits  a  thick,  resinous  matter,  heavier  than  water,  which,  when 
well  washed  with  warm  water  and  distilled  with  potassa,  afforded  a  substance 
having  a  very  agreeable  aromatic  odor. 
"The  volatile  oil  of  Cicuta  maculata  is  neutral  to  test  paper,  but  rapidly  ozon- 
izes air  enclosed  with  it  in  glass  bottles  exposed  to  light,  and  in  this  respect  it 
is  more  active  than  oil  of  turpentine.  The  corks  of  the  vials  containing  it  are 
bleached  as  though  acted  on  by  nitric  acid,  and  when  a  strip  of  paper  moistened 
with  iodide  of  potassium  and  starch  water  is  suspended  in  a  vial  above  the  oil, 
the  iodide  is  instantly  decomposed,  setting  free  the  iodine.  When  treated  with 
bichromate  of  potassium  and  sulphuric  acid,  it  yielded  by  distillation  an  acid 
analogous  to  formic  acid. 
Potassium,  when  added  to  the  oil,  decomposes  it  with  effervescence,  mate- 
rially affecting  its  odor,  and,  on  standing,  causing  it  to  become  solid,  the 
potassa  formed  from  the  oxidation  of  the  potassium  uniting  with  a  portion  of 
the  oil  to  form  a  compound  like  resinate  of  potassium  having  a  dark  brown 
color  and  a  soft  consistence. 
"About  2  drachms  of  the  oil  were  treated  with  potassium  until  reaction 
ceased,  when  it  had  assumed  a  dark  brown  color  and  a  soft  consistence  ;  the 
whole  with  a  portion  of  potassium  was  introduced  into  a  retort,  and,  by  a  care- 
ful application  of  heat,  a  colorless  hydrocarbon  oil  distilled  over,  of  the  specific 
gravity  '830,  and  having  a  pleasant  odor  and  a  bland  aromatic  taste  ;  it  is  ren- 
dered dark  red  by  the  action  of  sulphuric  acid  ;  caustic  potassa  digested  in  the 
oil  does  not  affect  it  ;  nitric  acid  acts  on  it  with  effervescence,  but  without  ex- 
ploding ;  iodine  combines  slowly  but  perfectly  without  explosion,  becoming 
colorless  on  standing." 
Essay  by  Robert  Glenk. — "The  volatile  oil  obtained  by  distilling  the  bruised 
fruit  with  water  was  first  of  a  dark  color,  but,  on  redistillation,  was  obtained 
nearly  colorless;  yield,  4/8  per  cent. ;  specific  gravity,  '855  ;  boiling  point,  1770  C. 
(3500  F.);  soluble  in  1-5  parts  commercial  alcohol,  in  all  proportions  of  absolute 
alcohol  and  in  50  parts  of  glacial  acetic  acid. 
"  The  following  color  reactions  were  observed  :  a  solution  of  bromine  in 
