1822.] Chemical Examination of Cubebs. 203 



somewhat resembled that of peppermint. In this respect, 

 Murray has committed a great error : he says that Beaume 

 obtained two omices and one drachm of this oil from two pounds 

 and a half of cubebs ; whereas it was only one ounce one drachm 

 from twelve pounds and a half of that grain which Beaume 

 obtained. 



The distilled water possessed all the odorous properties of the 

 oil, but it was alkahne, for it restored the blue colour of Htmus 

 paper which had been reddened by an acid; wishing to know 

 from what alkali this property was derived, I saturated it witk 

 weak sulphuric acid, and evaporated the solution. 



The residue of the evaporation being examined contained a 

 salt, that had all the characters of sulphate of ammonia mixed 

 with a little essential oil. It emitted ammonia upon the addition 

 of a few drops of potash. When put on a hot iron, it was vola- 

 tilized in the form of dense white vapours. 



• The residue of the distillation when filtered had a brown 

 colour, a bitter taste, and with reagents the following effects 

 were produced : 



1. It gave an abundant yellow flocculent precipitate with 

 nitrate of silver, a great part of which was redissolved by pure 

 nitric acid. 



2. Oxalate of ammonia produced no effect. 



3. Nitrate of barytes gave a light flocculent precipitate. 



4. Galls gave a bulky brown precipitate. 



5. Acetate of lead gave an abundant precipitate, and the 

 liquor was rendered almost colourless. 



6. It reddened litmus paper slightly. 



By evaporation, it gave a brown extract, which was shghtly 

 acid. It was divided into parts, and subjected to several opera- 

 tions. 



1. It was treated with alcohol, to which it imparted a yellow 

 colour : the alcohol, when evaporated, left a substance, of a fine 

 colour, which redissolved in water, except some particles of a 

 brown dry resin, that softened between the teeth, and had an 

 acrid taste. That part of the extract which w^as insoluble in 

 alcohol was dissolved in water, but there remained some particle* 

 in the liquor which appeared to be albumen coagulated by the 

 alcohol. 



2. A portion of this extract being burnt gave an ash contain- 

 ing subcarbonate, phosphate, a little muriate of potash, and some 

 phosphate of magnesia. 



3. The remaining part of the extract was dissolved in water, 

 and precipitated by acetate of lead. The precipitate being 

 washed and decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, gave a small 

 quantity of malic acid mixed with a little colouring matter ; the 

 liquor from which I had separated this acid by means of acetate 

 of lead, being treated with the subacetate of the same base, gave 



