142 
ON  THE  OIL  OF  THE  PURGING  NUT. 
having  seen  and  tasted  them,  experienced  very  disagreeable  ef- 
fects. 
By  pressure  they  furnish  a  white  oil,  the  density  of  which  is 
0-910  at  62°. 6  F.  ;  it  sets  into  a  butyraceous  mass  at  20°-3  F.  ; 
it  is  inodorous,  and  I  think  may  be  substituted  in  perfumery  for 
oil  of  ben,  which  it  closely  resembles ;  it  is  nearly  insoluble  in 
alcohol.  It  is  sweet,  and  does  not  appear  to  produce  the  same 
effects  as  the  fruit,  at  least  when  taken  in  small  quantity ;  in  the 
air  it  undergoes  very  little  alteration,  but  when  placed  in  a  tube 
with  oxygen,  it  absorbed  that  gas  very  slowly,  and  became  per- 
fectly white  and  limpid.  The  oil  does  not  solidify  completely 
under  the  influence  of  hyponitrous  acid  ;  it  always  retains  a  pasty 
consistency.  It  is  saponified  with  difficulty  by  potash,  but  soda 
readily  converts  it  into  a  white  hard  soap.  Ammonia  acts  upon 
it  as  upon  most  oils,  producing  a  solid  white  body,  of  which  the 
properties  will  be  referred  to  hereafter. 
The  proportion  of  oil  contained  in  the  nut  is  87  per  cent. ;  in 
the  kernel  it  amounts  to  50  per  cent.,  and  the  envelope  might 
easily  be  separated  by  bolting.  The  nuts  contain  2«25  of  nitro- 
gen ;  the  cake  from  which  the  oil  had  been  expressed  gave  4-56 
per  cent,  of  nitrogen. 
By  the  action  of  heat  this  oil  is  decomposed,  furnishing  acro- 
leine  and  different  products,  amongst  which  sebacic  acid  occurs. 
It  is  attacked  by  nitric  acid,  with  evolutions  of  nitrous  fumes  and 
formation  of  hydrocyanic  acid  ;  the  oil  furnishes  volatile  fatty 
acids,  and  at  last  a  white  acid  soluble  in  hot  water,  and  fusible 
at  248°  F.  Analysis  of  this  acid  and  of  its  silver  salt  show  that 
it  is  suberic  acid,  Clfi  II14  O8. 
Saponified  by  potash,  the  oil  gives  a  soap,  which,  when  decom- 
posed by  muriatic  acid  furnishes  fatty  acids,  which  solidify  at 
ordinary  temperatures,  and  only  fuse  at  about  86°  F.  By  well 
regulated  pressure,  a  very  white  solid  acid  may  be  separated, 
which  is  deposited  from  alcohol  in  brilliant  spangles  ;  it  fuses  at 
1313  F.,  and  solidifies  at  128°-3  F. ;  it  amounts  to  18  or  20  per 
cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  oil.  Its  analysis  agreed  exactly  with 
the  formula  C30  H30  O4,  which  was  also  confirmed  by  the  analysis 
of  its  silver  salt.  The  latter  is  but  slightly  soluble  in  water,  but 
very  soluble  in  boiling  alcohol ;  it  fuses  when  heated,  and  burns 
very  readily,  without  diffusing  any  odor ;  it  leaves  a  residue  of 
metallic  silver. 
