262 Mr. Schunck on the Substances 



The plant was cut into pieces and treated in a capacious 

 vessel with boiling water. After the boiling had continued 

 for some time, the fluid, which had acquired a yellowish- 

 brown colour, was strained through cloth. On cooling there 

 was deposited from it a white substance in flocks and minute 

 crystals. It was separated by nitration and washed with cold 

 water. After drying it had a grayish appearance. In order 

 to purify it, it was only necessary to dissolve it in boiling al- 

 cohol, which left behind an inconsiderable black or brown 

 residue. On cooling it separated as a white crystalline mass. 

 This substance resembles Heeren's erythrine and Kane's ery- 

 thriline. I shall call it Erythric acid. 



The fluid from which this substance had separated was of 

 a light brown colour. On evaporation it became dark brown 

 and muddy, and left at length a dark brown viscid mass, 

 having a sweetish bitter taste. This mass, after standing for 

 some time, became solid and crystalline. It was treated with 

 cold water, which left behind a crystalline substance of a 

 brownish-white colour and a bitter taste. This substance is 

 a product of the action of boiling water on erythric acid. I 

 shall call it Pier o- erythrine. In order to purify it, it must be, 

 after washing it with a little cold water, dissolved in boiling 

 water, to which is added some animal charcoal. After filtra- 

 tion and evaporation there remains a yellowish mass, which 

 soon becomes crystalline and white. On treating this mass 

 with cold water, the picro-erythrine remains behind perfectly 

 white and in a state of purity. 



To the brown fluid obtained by treating the dark brown 

 mass with cold water, a solution of sugar of lead was added, 

 which produced a copious grayish-brown precipitate. This 

 precipitate, after being separated by nitration and washed 

 with water, was decomposed by a stream of sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen gas. A light yellow fluid was obtained, which, on 

 evaporation, became gradually brown and deposited a dark 

 brown substance, insoluble in water but soluble ill alcohol 

 and alkalies. A brown viscid mass was left at last, having 

 an acid reaction and a strongly acid and at the same time 

 bitter taste. It showed no trace of anything crystalline even 

 after long standing. It was soluble in alcohol, but insoluble 

 in aether. Its aqueous solution was precipitated by a solution 

 of glue, by lime and baryta water, and acetate of copper, and 

 was rendered muddy and gradually precipitated by sulphuric 

 acid and common salt. It therefore consisted probably of 

 some kind of tannic acid. Through the fluid separated from 

 the precipitate produced by sugar of lead sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen gas was passed until all the lead was precipitated. 



