Important: Safety Warning
This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
In addition, this page describes additives or treatments for food or drink that are now known to be toxic and are prohibited in food today.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Oil of Apple
Mix cautiously 1 part fusel oil, 3 parts sulphuric acid, and 2 parts water. Dissolve 24 parts bichromate of potash in 44 parts water, introduce this into a large tubulated retort, and gradually add the formerliquid, so that the boiling continues very slowly. The distillate, which is principally valerianic acid, is saturated with carbonate of soda, and evaporated to dryness. Take of the valerianate of soda, thus formed, 1½ parts ; fusel oil, 1 part; sulphuric acid, 1 part; mix cautiously, heat by a water-bath, and mix with water; the impure valerianate of amyloxide will separate. It is washed several times with water, then with a solution of carbonate of soda, and finally with water. This is dissolved in from 6 to 8 parts of water.