AmMay"i8P96arm'}     Volatile  Oil  of  Cicuta  Maculata.  239 
Glenk  left  with  the  fruit  used  in  these  experiments  about  15  c  c. 
of  oil  which  he  had  isolated  in  1 891.  This  was  redistilled  and  was 
then  found  to  have  the  same  general  characteristics  as  the  fresh  oil ; 
so  it  was  mixed  with  the  latter,  and  the  whole  afterwards  fractioned 
as  one  lot.  Great  difficulty  was  experienced  in  obtaining  fractions 
with  constant  boiling  points,  but  it  is  believed  that  those  given  be- 
low are  as  nearly  the  correct  fractions  of  the  oil  as  can  be  obtained 
by  fractional  distillation  alone.  Nearly  all  of  the  fractions  were 
cloudy  when  first  collected,  but  afterwards  became  very  clear.  As 
mentioned  above,  this  phenomenon  could  not  be  accounted  for.  The 
four  fractions  were  neutral  toward  litmus  paper.  The  decomposi- 
tion products  that  were  obtained  above  these  fractions  were  acid 
toward  that  substance.  Prolonged  chilling  did  not  serve  to  separate 
solid  bodies  from  the  oil  or  its  fractions. 
Number  of 
fraction. 
Temperature  at  which  obtained. 
176°  to  178*5°  (average  177°) 
1 78°  to  183°  (average  179°) 
180°  to  1 90° 
190°  to  223° 
225°  (decomposition  products) 
Above  225°  (residues) 
Residues  from  first  rectification 
Approximate  percent- 
age by  volume. 
40 
35 
7 
4 
4 
6 
4 
DESCRIPTIONS  OF  FRACTIONS. 
No.  I  :  Colorless,  limpid,  very  transparent  oil,  with  strong,  but 
not  unpleasant,  somewhat  aromatic  odor.  Boiling  point,  177-5°  C. 
Specific  gravity,  -8563. 
No.  2  :  Description  same  as  No.  1.  Boiling  point,  179  50  C. 
Specific  gravity,  -8599. 
No.  3  :  Colorless,  limpid,  very  transparent,  with  strong,  disagree- 
able odor.    Boiling  point,  181°  C.    Specific  gravity,  -8664. 
No.  4 :  Nearly  colorless,  limpid,  transparent,  with  strong,  unpleas- 
ant odor.    Boiling  point,  185°  C. 
No.  5  :  Brilliant,  transparent,  dark  amber  in  color,  odor  empyreu- 
matic.  Boiling  point  above  200°  C.  When  this  fraction  was  being 
obtained,  the  temperature  fell  rapidly  from  225°  to  150°,  thus  indi- 
cating decomposition. 
