PROCESS FOR PREPARING VALERIANIA ACID. 253 
to other chemists, who may have occasion to prepare 
valerianic acid, the process is subjoined. 
Let the valerian be boiled for three or four hours in 
rather more than its bulk of water, holding in solution an 
ounce of carbonate of soda for every pound of the root, and 
replacing the water as it evaporates. Let the liquid be 
strongly pressed out, and the residuum again boiled for a 
little with a like quantity of water. After another pressing, 
let the process be repeated in the same way, a third and 
last time. After mixing the liquids, and adding two fluid 
drachms of strong sulphuric acid for each pound of the root 
used, let them be distilled. When about three-fourths of 
the liquid have passed into the receiver, let the distillate be 
fully neutralized with carbonate of soda, for which purpose 
a quarter of an ounce for every pound of the root will be 
quite enough. The valerianic acid can then be obtained 
in the usual way— viz., by concentrating the solution of 
valerinate of soda, decomposing it with sulphuric acid, and 
separating the valerianic acid, now set free, either by means 
of a separator or distillation. When the valerianic acid 
has been once obtained, no difficulty can occur in prepar- 
ing any of the valerianates. 
The advantage of this method over that in which the 
root itself is simply distilled with water, will be seen on 
contrasting the results of both. By the latter method, the 
time required was six times greater than when the valerian^ 
ate of soda in solution was distilled after adding a strong 
acid ; and although the sacrifice of time was so much 
greater in the first case, the contents of the still continued to 
smell strongly of valerian, while in the latter, not a trace of 
the peculiar odor of valerianic acid could be detected, show- 
ing that the principle had been more effectually exhausted. 
And further, the amount of acid obtained, four scruples 
from the pound of root, was nearly thrice as great as could 
be got without the use of soda. 
Since the above process was adopted by us, M. S. Ra- 
23 
