770 ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
soluble. In this respect it agrees with palm oil, but disagrees with all the orditisCj,fixed oils. Hence alcohol has been proposeil as a means of detecting adulteratin''castor oil, the adulterating oil not being soluble in alcohol. [Castor oil “ isdissolved by its own volume of alcohol.” Ph.Ed.] Stoltze (Gmelin, Handb. d. £■»says benzoic acid promotes the solution of castor oil in rectified spirit. j, e
Commerce .—Castor oil is imported in casks, barrels, hogsheads, and duppers. . ,duty on it is Is. 3d. per cwt. Of 393,191 lbs. imported in 1831, there came fr |,n ' (i[]1East Indies 343,373 lbs., from British Northern Colonies of America 25,718 lbs-. rthe United States 22,669 lbs., and from the British West Indies 1,407 lbs. (* armerit Returns for 1831).
Composition .—The following is the ultimate composition of castor oil:—
Castor oil.
100 000 . 10000
Tbeproj-iwia/econstilncnts of the oil have not been determined. They are neither ste ^nor olein, since neither margaric nor oleic acid is produced by the saponificaO 01 * ^distillation of castor oil. “ This oil,” observe MM. Bussv and Lecanu, “ cann° „_regarded as a simple, immediate principle, but as a compound organic product, reing from the mixture of at least two different substances.” If we assume that the Vducts of saponification pre-exist in the fatty body used in the process—an aS ® u aI ,dtion recently adopted with regard to stearin and spermaceti (Ann. de Chim. lxi>- °>Ixiii. 148)—castor oil may be regarded as a compound of three fatty acids, viz. V*’’eldiodic, and margaritic acids, combined with, and saturated by, glycerin. -^gil
Castor oil is distinguished from all other fixed oils, by, first, the products
•o .• ii i i a ... .... i 1 .... antu*
dist'
by its saponification; secondly, the products procured when we submit it to o- ujtion ; thirdly, the peculiar fatty matter which it yields, when acted on by hyp°°acid or nitrate of mercury.
Product of the Aoti° n
Products of Saponification.
100 parts of Castor oil yielded:
Products of Distillation.
Hyponitrous i
(Average of two experiments) :
1. Fatty acids (viz. ricinir ,eldiodic, and margaritic
1. Distilled liquid . . 33 - 5
(a.) Water.
( b.) Acetic acid.
(c.) Volatile oil.
(d.) Fatty acids (ri-cinic, eldiodic, [&margaritic ?] acids.)
2. Solid residuum . . 63'0
3. Loss (inflammable gas) 3'5
Palmin (yielding by s a P""$>>?tion, and, therefore, V ^consisting of, palm' ,e aglycerin).
I Castor oil.100*0 i
(a.) Volatile Oil. — Obtained by distillation. Separated from acetic acid by "?* a ,|dwith water, and from the fatty acids by distillation with water. It is limp 118 J( . jncolourless, has a peculiar odour, an acrid taste, and a sp. gr. of 0-815. It is f’ j e H‘alcohol and ether, but is insoluble in a solution of potash. By long-conti" ueposure to a temperature of 23° F. it becomes crystalline. ” aCr i<1>
(b ) Fatty acids (Ricinic, Eldiodic, and Margaritic acids )—These are very 8 ithsoluble in alcohol, ether, and a weak aqueous solution of potash. They unit®bases to form salts. The saline compounds formed by the union of these a °‘potash, soda, magnesia, and lead, are soluble in alcohol: those with potash ands» ar falso soluble in water. One of these acids ( Ricinic acid) is crystalline, solid at « i,temperature, and fusible at 72 u F. Its crystallized hydrate consists of CarbouHydrogen 9-86, and Oxygen 16-58. Another (Eldiodic acid) is a ye"”' v r C h>r<'liquid at 32° I.; but at many degrees below this it becomes crystalline. a" j t ba’acid (Margaritic add) constitutes only 0-002 of the products of saponification, oj^t-snot been detected, though it probably exists, in the distilled products. It cr T h#* 1in pearly scales. It is distinguished from the ricinic and elaiodic acids by 1