ESSENCE OF JARGONELLE PEAR. BY THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL.
The liquid sold under this name, and which has been for some time in use by confectioners, is the acetate of the oxide of amyle.
It is prepared with great facility by submitting to distillation a mixture of one part of amylic alcohol (better known by the name of oil of grain,) two parts of acetate of potash, and one part of oil of vitriol. The distilled liquid is to be washed with alkaline water, dehydrated by chloride of calcium, and afterwards rectified by distillation from protoxide of lead.
Its properties are thus stated by Dumas:—In the state of purity it is a colorless, very limpid, volatile liquor, which boils at 257° F. It possesses an ethereal aromatic odor, somewhat resembling acetic ether; its sp. gr. is less than that of water. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, ether, oil of grain, &c. Concentrated sulphuric acid does not color it in the cold; but by heating the mixture, it becomes reddish-yellow, and when the temperature is elevated, destructive reaction takes place, the mixture blackens and evolves sulphurous acid. Placed in contact with a watery solution of potash it is very slowly altered; but an alcoholic solution of this base rapidly decomposes, an alkaline acetate is formed, and the oil of grain regenerated. Its ultimate composition is
| 14 equivalents of carbon, | 84 |
| 14 equivalents of hydrogen, | 14 |
| 4 equivalents of oxygen, | 32 |
| 130 |
But its proximate composition is amyle, (an hypothetical radical) oxygen, and acetic acid.
| 1 equivalent amyle (C10 H11) | 71 |
| 1 equivalent oxygen, | 8 |
| 1 equivalent acetic acid, (C4 H3 O3) | 51 |
| 130 |
Its formula is thus stated by Brande, AylO, AcO3; by Fownes, AylO, C4 H3 O3.
Amylic alcohol, or oil of grain, called by the Germans fuselol; is the hydrated oxide of amyle, AylO, HO. It is {61} largely produced in the distillation of spirit from corn. It is officinal in the Dublin Pharmacopœia, where it is termed “Alcohol amylicum—Fusel oil,” and is employed to yield valerianic acid in the process for making “Sodæ Valerianas.”
From information which we have received, we have reason to believe that the use, by very young children, of articles of confectionery, flavored with essence of pear, is not without danger. A child on two occasions became partially comatose, with livid lips and feeble pulse, after eating some confectionery which it was calculated contained about one drop of the essence.—London Pharmaceutical Journal, November, ’51.