/ 
'^^Simi!''''}     Oil  of  Andromeda  Leschenaultii.  547 
analysis*  it  yielded :  carbon  83'3,  and  hydrogen  11*8  per  cent,  cor- 
responding to  the  formula  ^Q^^H^^-^ILfi. 
The  residual  portion  was  almost  entirely  devoid  of  deviating  power  ; 
it  yielded:  carbon  87-89,  and  hydrogen  11-72  per  cent.,  after  hav- 
ing been  rectified  by  means  of  sodium.  This  part  of  the  oil  con- 
sequently belongs  to  the  formula  Q^^l-^^. 
I  extracted  the  fat  oil,  by  means  of  boiling  ether,  from  seed  grown 
in  Germany,  previously  finely  powdered.  The  oil  thus  obtained, 
which  necessarily  included  some  essential  oil,  imparting  to  the  other 
its  fluorescence,  amounted  to  25*6  per  cent.  It  is  a  fluid  fat,  which 
does  not  congeal  at  +  5°  ( —  15°  C.) ;  it  was  found  to  consist  chiefly 
of  olein,  besides  which  it  yielded  a  considerable  amount  of  a  solid 
fatty  acid,  the  crystals  of  which,  after  reiterated  purification,  melted 
at  131°  (55'^  C.)  The  melting  point  did  not  rise  by  recrystalliza- 
tion,  the  acid  being  probably  a  mixture  of  palmitinic  and  myristic 
acids. 
Nigella  seeds,  powdered  and  dried  over  sulphuric  acid,  yielded 
3-3195t  per  cent,  of  nitrogen,  answering  to  about  21J  per  cent,  of 
albuminous  matter. 
Uses, — It  is  stated  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  India,  that  nigella  seeds- 
are  carminative,  and  they  were  formerly  so  regarded  in  Europe.  In 
the  East  generally  they  are  used  as  a  condiment  to  food,  and  in 
Greece,  Turkey  and  Egypt  they  are  frequently  strewed  over  the  sur- 
face of  bread  and  cakes  in  the  same  manner  as  anise  or  sesame.  The 
fixed  oil  of  the  seeds  is  also  expressed  for  use. 
I  have  no  recent  statistics  indicating  the  extent  to  which  the  seed 
is  grown,  but  may  state,  on  the  authority  of  an  official  French  docu- 
ment, that,  during  the  year  1854-55,  83  quarters,  worth  2592  ru- 
pees, were  exported  from  Madras  to  Ceylon. — Pharm,  Journ.,  Lond.^ 
Aug.  26,  1871. 
OIL  OF  ANDROMEDA  LESC HENAULTII.t 
.    .    .    Earl}^  in  1867  Mr.  M'lvor  requested  me  to  examine  an 
essential  oil  which  he  had  obtained  from  a  very  common  hill  plant, 
*  Performed  in  my  laboratory  by  Dr.  Kraushaar. 
t  On  an  average  of  three  experiments  made  in  my  laboratory. 
X  Extract  from  letter  from  J.  Broughton,  Esq.,  Government  Quinologist,  to 
the  Secretary  to  Government  Revenue  Department,  Fort  St.  George,  dated 
Ootacaraund,  9th  January,  1871. 
