Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/266

 246 VALERIANIC ACID unenviable duties by the death of the emperor. His successor Gallus sent Valerian to bring the legions of Gaul and Germany to aid in quelling the rebellion of ^Emilianus ; but before his ar- rival Gallus had been slain. JEmilianus shared the same fate, and "Valerian was called to the throne. He immediately associated with him- self in the empire his son Gallienus. His whole reign was spent in resisting the assaults of the Franks, Alemanni, and Goths, and in the East of the Persians. Leaving the defence of the West to his son and to his lieutenant, the emperor marched against the Persian monarch, but was taken prisoner with his army, and the victory of Sapor was followed by the capture of Antioch and the overrunning of Asia Minor. His son usurped the throne, gave himself up to debauchery, and allowed the empire to be overrun by the barbarians. (See GALLIENUS.) Valerian died in captivity. The accounts of his reign are contradictory, and the chronol- ogy is uncertain. VALERIANIC ACID, or Valeric Add, an acid which bears the same relation to amylic alcohol that acetic acid does to ethylic or common alcohol. It was first obtained by Chevreul in 1817 from the fat of a dolphin, delphinum phoccena, and was called delphinie or phocenic acid. In 1830 Grote obtained from the essential oil of vale- rian an acid which he called valerianic acid, and which was shown by Trommsdorff and Ettling to be identical with Chevreul's delphinie acid. It was afterward produced by oxidation of amylic alcohol by Dumas and Stas, who pointed out its relation to this body and snowed its composition to be CsHioOa. It is found in many vegetables, as valerian, angelica, and several other roots, in the fruit and bark of viburnum opulus, in the bark of the elder, and in many composite plants. It is also produced by the oxidation of fats and the putrefaction of albuminous substances. It is prepared from amylic alcohol by adding to it twice its weight of strong sulphuric acid, and passing this slow- ly into a solution of bichromate of potash, and, after heating for some time in a flask, distilling and saturating the distillate with so- dium carbonate. Sodium valerianate is pro- duced, which is treated with sulphuric acid and distilled. It is a colorless, mobile oil, having a sour, burning taste, and an odor re- sembling oil of valerian combined with ran- cid cheese. Its specific gravity at 61 is 0'937, according to Dumas and Stas; and its index of refraction, according to Delffs, is 1-3952. It affects the plane of polarization of light according as it has been prepared from active or inactive amylic alcohol. The active modi- fication produces a rotation of +43 in a tube 50 centimetres long. It boils at 347 F., and remains liquid and transparent at 5. It dis- solves in 30 parts of water at 53-6, and in all proportions with alcohol and ether. Its vapor passed through a red-hot tube is con- verted into carbonic anhydride, carbonic oxide, ethylene, tritylene, and tetrylene, with some- VALERIUS CORVUS times light carbnretted hydrogen. It is mono- basic, forming neutral salts having the general formula CsHgMOa, and a few acid and basic salts. The valerianates are unctuous to the touch, inodorous when dry, but with a pun- gent strong smell of valerianic acid when moist, which is heightened by warmth. Valerianate of ammonia is prepared by passing ammoniacal gas through valerianic acid. It crystallizes in white, pearly, four-sided, tabular crystals, hav- ing an offensive odor. It is often formed in the putrefaction of organic bodies, and is a fre- quent constituent of rancid cheese. It was in- troduced as a therapeutic agent by M. Declat of Paris for the treatment of neuralgia ; it may be given in doses of one or two grains of the. salt dissolved in water. Valerianate of bis- muth has been used successfully in neuralgia and painful affections of the stomach, in doses of from one to two grains. Valerianate of iron is often used in hysterical affections com- plicated with chlorosis, in doses of one grain, repeated several times a day. Valerianate of quinia is prepared by dissolving the alkaloid in valerianic acid and evaporating the solution below 120 F. It is a colorless salt, crystalli- zing in rhombohedral plates having a bitter taste and a powerful, repulsive odor, soluble in 110 parts of cold and 40 parts of boiling water. By continuing the boiling, the salt is decom- posed with evolution of valerianic acid. It is given in cases of debility and nervous affections, in doses of one or two grains several times a day. Valerianate of atropia, the active princi- ple of atropa belladonna, has been employed with benefit in epilepsy and other nervous diseases, in very minute doses. Valerianate of zinc is prepared by the action of valerianate of soda on sulphate of zinc. It possesses de- cided antispasmodic properties, and has been used with advantage by Dr. Namias of Venice, Italy, in nervous affections attended with pal- pitation of the heart, and by Dr. Francois De- vay of Lyons, France, in epilepsy and in ner- vous affections accompanying chlorosis. The valerianic ethers, or valerianates of the alcohol radicals, are prepared by distilling valerianate of sodium with sulphuric acid and the corre- sponding alcohols. Amylic valerianate dis- solved in six or eight parts of alcohol forms a flavoring liquid known as apple essence. VALKRIIS CORVUS, Harms, a Roman general, born about 371 B. 0., died about 271. In 349, being tribune under L. Camillua in his cam- paign against the Gauls, he accepted the chal- lenge of a gigantic barbarian to single combat, and killed his antagonist, as the story goes, with the assistance of a raven, which perched upon Valerius's helmet, and as often as he advanced upon his foe flew at the Gaul's face. A general battle ensued, in which the Romans were completely victorious. From this cir- cumstance Valerius is said to have derived his surname of Corvus. He was made consul in 348 and five times subsequently. In 343 he gained two brilliant victories over the Samnitea