632 
Margosa  Oil. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1888. 
1  cc.  of  caustic  soda  for  ueutralization.  No  attempt  at  separating  the 
fixed  fatty  acids  was  made;  they  probably  consisted  of  a  mixture  of 
stearic  and  oleic  acids,  with  a  small  amount  of  lauric  acid. 
Examined  by  Reichert's  distillation  process,  2*5  grams  of  the  oil 
gave  a  distillate  which  after  separation  of  the  lauric  acid,  which  had 
distilled  over,  required  4*6  cc.  of  decinormal  soda  for  neutralization, 
phenol phthalein  being  used  as  an  indicator. 
The  saponification  equivalent  of  the  oil  was  determined  by  Koetts- 
torfer's  method,  and  was  equal  to  284,  the  percentage  of  caustic  potash 
required  to  saponify  the  oil  being  19*72. 
A  preliminary  examination  of  the  oil  having  indicated  the  presence 
of  sulphur,  a  quantitative  estimation  of  the  amount  present  was  made 
and  found  equal  to  '427  per  cent.  The  oil  after  repeated  agitation 
with  alcohol  was  found  to  contain  only  '109  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 
The  extract  obtained  by  agitating  the  oil  with  absolute  alcohol  has 
already  been  referred  to;  it  was  examined  in  the  following  manner  : — 
The  oily  extract  was  treated  with  60  per  cent,  spirit,  allowed  to  stand, 
and  the  clear  yellow  alcoholic  solution  decanted  from  the  insoluble 
oil ;  the  alcoholic  solution  thus  obtained  was  evaporated  to  dryness, 
mixed  with  ammonia,  and  agitated  with  ^ther.  The  ether  solution 
was  marked  A.  The  aqueous  solution,  after  separation  of  the  ether, 
was  mixed  Avith  dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  and  again  agitated  with 
€ther.  The  ether  separated  of  a  yellow  color,  and  below  it  some 
flocks  of  a  dirty  yellow  hue,  which  refused  to  dissolve  after  prolonged 
agitation.  The  ether  solution  w^as  marked  B.  From  the  aqueous  so- 
lution the  insoluble  flocks  were  separated  by  filtration  and  marked  C. 
The  filtrate  was  not  further  examined. 
Examination  of  ether  solution  A. — The  solution  was  agitated  with 
dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  to  remove  any  principles  of  an  alkaloidal 
nature.  The  ether  was  then  separated  and  evaporated ;  the  resulting 
extract  was  pale  amber  in  color,  viscid  at  first,  very  bitter,  and  had  a 
marked  odor  of  the  oil.  It  contained  sulphur.  It  was  easily  soluble 
in  60  per  cent,  alcohol,  ether,  chloroform,  etc.,  but  insoluble  in  acids, 
or  in  caustic  alkaline  solutions.  It  had  the  properties  of  a  neutral 
resin. 
The  hydrochloric  acid  solution  was  of  a  yellow  color ;  it  was  mixed 
with  ammonia,  which  occasioned  a  white  precipitate,  and  agitated 
with  ether.  The  ethereal  solution  on  evaporation  left  a  yellow  resi- 
due, not  readily  soluble  in  dilute  acids.    The  dilute  sulphuric  acid 
