Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
Dec,  1888.  / 
Margosa  OH, 
631 
The  color  reactions  of  margosa  oil  were  not  characteristic.  With 
concentrated  sulphuric  acid  a  rich  brown  color  was  yielded,  and  a 
strong  garlic  odor  evolved.  By  Massie's  test  with  nitric  acid  the  oil 
became  almost  immediately  of  a  reddish  color ;  after  standing  about 
one  hour  and  thirty  minutes  the  color  was  pale  yellow.  The  elaidin 
reaction  conducted  according  to  Pontet's  directions  yielded  a  solid  firm 
yellowish  product  after  eighteen  hours,  the  temperature  in  the  labora- 
tory varying  between  89°  and  93°  F.  Exposed  in  a  thin  layer  on  a 
glass  plate  to  a  temperature  of  100°  C.  for  some  days  the  oil  did  not 
dry  or  become  tacky.  The  oil  was  easily  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform, 
carbon  bisulphide,  benzol,  etc.  Absolute  alcohol  agitated  with  it  was 
colored  greenish  ;  on  separating  the  alcohol,  and  evaporating  off  the 
spirit,  an  extract  was  obtained  which  consisted  of  oil,  from  which  a 
small  residue,  whitish  in  color,  separated  on  standing.  The  alcoholic 
extract  was  very  bitter,  and  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  the  peculiar 
odor  of  the  oil.  The  whitish  residue  deposited  from  the  oil,  sepa- 
rated by  alcohol  and  examined  microscopically,  did  not  appear  crystal- 
line. Margosa  oil  after  repeated  agitation  with  alcohol  was  found  to 
have  lost  its  bitterness  and  almost  wholly  its  alliaceous  odor. 
A  known  weight  of  the  oil  was  saponified  with  alcoholic  potash, 
the  alcohol  completely  evaporated  off,  and  the  soap  dissolved  in  water. 
On  agitating  the  aqueous  solution  of  the  soap  with  ether,  1-60  per 
cent,  of  ether  extract  was  obtained  of  an  orange-yellow  color  and  bit- 
ter. This  extract  treated  with  60  per  cent,  alcohol,  left  a  small 
amount  of  white  residue,  which  had  the  character  of  a  wax.  The 
aqueous  solution  of  the  soap,  after  separation  of  the  ether,  was  heated 
for  some  time  to  remove  dissolved  .ether,  the  solution  was  then  mixed 
with  dilute  sulphuric  acid  in  excess,  and  the  insoluble  separated  from 
the  soluble  fatty  acids  in  the  manner  recommended  by  AUen.^  The 
soluble  fatty  acids  amounted  to  3*519  per  cent.,  the  insoluble  to  89  - 
128  per  cent.  The  volatile  acids  consisted  of  butyric  and  a  trace  of 
valeric  acid.  During  the  distillation  to  separate  the  fluid  from  the 
volatile  fatty  acids,  a  small  amount  of  a  snow  white  fatty  acid  passed 
over;  this  acid  had  a  melting  point  of  43'6°  C,  which  corresponds 
with  the  fusing  point  of  lauric  acid.  A  weighed  portion  of  the  in- 
soluble fatty  acids,  from  which  the  lauric  acid  had  not  been  separated, 
was  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  titrated  Avith  normal  standard  soda,  us- 
ing phenol phthalein  as  an  indicator,  '288  gram  of  the  acids  required 
}  '  Commercial  Organic  Analysis.' 
