198 
ON VALERIANIC ACID. 
According to the Prince of Canino, the quinine salt con- 
sists of equal equivalents; he has, however, taken Reg- 
nault's atomic weight of quinine, which is just as high 
again. The quantities, however, found by him are, ac- 
cording to the author, far too low. 
Valerianate of the Peroxide of Iron. — 60 parts of water 
are added to 5 parts oily valerianic acid and saturated with 
carbonate of soda, the solution boiled to expel all the car- 
bonic acid, and left to cool. 3 parts perchloride of iron 
(Fe 2 CI 3 +6H0) are then dissolved in 100 parts water, and 
the cold solution of valerianate of soda added to it until no 
further turbidness results. The precipitate is washed with 
a little water, and dried at a temperature not exceeding 68°; 
at a higher temperature it loses a part of its acid, and on 
boiling the whole of it goes off. The salt forms a dark tile- 
red, loose, amorphous powder, which has a faint odour 
and taste of valerianic acid. Heated slowly, it parts with- 
out melting with the whole of its acid ; heated rapidly, it 
fuses, and the acid is volatilized in thick inflammable va- 
pours; but in this operation it undergoes decomposition, 
for the vapours smell of butyric acid; the residue consists of 
pure peroxide of iron. It is not moistened by cold water; 
boiling water gradually extracts all the acid, and leaves 
behind pure hydrate of peroxide of iron. The salt dissolves 
readily in hydrochloric acid; the dilute solution is not ren- 
dered blue by ferrocyanide of potassium ; the peroxide of 
iron is consequently not reduced to protoxide by the vale- 
rianic acid. 20 grs. of the salt boiled with a solution of 10 
grs. anhydrous carbonate of soda gave 5.40 grs. peroxide of 
iron and 18.95 valerianate of soda ; therefore in 100 parts — 
Peroxide of iron 27.00 3 26.315 
Valerianic acid 71.00 7 71.720 
Water 2.00 2 1.965 
From this we may construct the formula 3Fe 2 3 + 
7Va + 2HO, or 7 (Fe 2 3 + 3Va)-J-2(Fe2 3 + 3HO.) The 
atomic weight is 11400 or 34200. The precipitate is con- 
