The flocculent precipitate formed at first was probably the ammonium salt of the iron acid, which like most ammonium salts, it was precipitated due to its insolubility in ether. Due to the ease of hydrolysis this salt immediately decomposed to the acid and ammonia when traces of moisture were present.
OXIDATION OF THE IRON ACIDS AND THE FREE ACIDS.
When the iron acids were oxidized in the same manner as the barium acids the amount of the oxidation product formed was about one fourth of that produced with an equal amount of the barium acids. The time necessary to completely oxidize the iron acids was much less then required for the barium acids. On sublimation the iron acid gave a product melting at 110 degrees Centigrade and is probably identical with the one formed from the barium acids. The iron acid also yielded a sublimate melting at 208 degrees C.
The free acids when oxidized in a like manner gave as one of the products a low melting crystalline compound that contained nitrogen.
The iron acid although related to the barium acid as shown by the formation of a common oxidation product is different in structure as shown by the difference in the amount of the oxidation product formed and the time to complete the oxidation.
THE ALCOHOL RADICALS AND UNSAPONIFIABLE MATERIAL.
The material that was shaken out with ether after the saponification consists of the unsaponifiable material and the alcohol radicals of the acids produced by saponification.
On allowing the ether to evaporate from this material, feathery needles separated. These were removed by means of a suction pump and recrystallized from hot acetone. The melting point of this product was 122-125 degrees Centigrade. The precipitate was dissolved in benzol and allowed to slowly crystallize. It formed long prismatic needles with melting point of 130 degrees Centigrade. When heated with concentrated sulphuric acid, a brown green fluorescent solution was produced.
The remaining material was steam distilled, and the distillate extracted with ether to remove the oil. The ether was dried with anhydrous sodium carbonate, the solution filtered and the ether removed by distillation. The oil that remained was light yellow, specific gravity less than that of water, and possessed a very characteristic odor resembling that of musk. The material left after the steam distillation was cooled and shaken out with ether. The ethereal solution was dried with anhydrous sodium sulphate and the ether removed by distillation. The resulting mass was a dark brown resin without any characteristic odor, solidifying at zero degrees.
The crystalline product with a melting point of 130 degrees and the essential oil are evidently the alcohols formed through saponification of the resin esters. The crystalline product could be readily separated from the resinous material because of its slight solubility in acetone. Since this product was not precipitated when the unsaponified resin esters were treated with acetone and because it did not make its appearance until after the process of saponification, it is quite probable it is a product of saponification. The essential oil can be detected in extremely small amounts due to its penetrating characteristic odor. Before the process of saponification it could not be detected, but as soon as saponification took place the odor was very marked. From this it is quite evident that this oil is a product of saponification.