^a^iS™'}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  21 
I. 
II. 
III. 
100° 
0-8742 
o'88oo 
68-4 
19-17 
292 
30°  C. 
74'5 
20"  1 2 
279 
29  20  C. 
75-8 
2<yo6 
280 
26'I 
28-5°  C. 
In  each  case  the  fatty  acids  were  nearly  white,  crystalline  and 
almost  odorless. 
Of  ten  other  samples  of  oil  examined  by  the  authors  two  agreed 
reasonably  well  with  the  pure  samples  already  mentioned.  One 
contained  a  considerable  proportion  of  paraffin  and  the  rest  appeared 
to  contain  other  mineral  oils,  with  cotton-seed  and  probably  linseed 
oil.  The  fatty  acids  of  two  of  these  samples  were  prepared,  and, 
instead  of  being  almost  white,  were  decidedly  yellow. 
In  discussing  the  subject  of  the  paper,  Mr.  E.  Grant  Hooper  said 
that  sophistication  of  this  oil  was  not  only  very  common,  but  was 
also,  in  many  cases,  very  gross  in  character.  In  a  batch  of  eight 
samples  recently  brought  to  his  notice,  the  following  variations  were 
observed,  viz. :  Densities  from  0-9048  to  0-9196  ;  saponification  values 
(per  cent,  of  potash),  5-64 —  19  9;  iodine  absorption,  46-5  —  86-7; 
acid  (oleic),  120  —  6  20  ;  refraction,  —  3-6  to  -f-  8  2,  and  one  excep- 
tional sample  -j-  43-7.  In  glancing  over  the  results  obtained  in  the 
examination  of  about  eighty  samples  during  the  year,  he  found  that 
the  acidity  ranged  from  039  to  34  per  cent,  (as  olive  seed);  and, 
with  reference  to  the  refraction,  the  readings  ranged  from  —  1 1  to 
+  7  and  +  57. 
Mr.  Otto  Hehner,  in  commenting  on  the  above  figures,  said  that 
they  were  interesting,  but  they  did  not  furnish  any  contribution  on 
the  question  of  genuine  neatsfoot  oil.  He  desired  to  warn  chemists 
against  pinning  their  faith  upon  any  particular  number  of  constants 
worked  out  from  a  small  number  of  samples.  Experience  invariably 
showed  that  the  composition  of  all  oils  and  fats  varied  considerably. 
Lard,  for  instance,  showed  wide  differences,  depending  upon  the  feed- 
ing of  the  animals,  the  position  from  which  the  fat  was  taken,  etc. 
He  would  have  been  interested  if  the  authors  had  somewhat  more 
closely  examined  the  unsaturated  portion  of  the  oil,  with  a  view  to 
ascertain  whether  less  saturated  glycerides  were  contained  in  it 
than  oleine. 
