Fruit o/'Menispermum Cocculus. 163 



strong) and the extract concentrated by distilling off' the al- 

 cohol, on cooling, a cake floating on the surface is obtained, 

 which consists of a deep green- coloured smeary fat matter. 

 If the kernels after having been removed from the outer shells 

 are submitted to a similar treatment, the same fat mass is ob- 

 tained, only with this difference, that it is no longer green 

 but of a yellowish colour, proving that the green colouring 

 matter is only contained in the outer shells. The fat mass 

 was separated from the remainder of the extract and boiled 

 several times with distilled water, to remove all traces of pi- 

 crotoxine and other soluble substances. It possessed an acid 

 reaction, and was easily saponified by boiling with a dilute 

 solution of caustic potash. The soap, which was separated 

 by common salt, is hard, of a green colour, and affords 

 after decomposition by an acid a green mass which solidifies 

 on cooling. It is very easily soluble in weak boiling alcohol ; 

 on cooling, a portion, which however is still of a yellow co- 

 lour, crystallizes, the solution remaining green. The solid 

 acid thus prepared, although recry stall ized ten or twelve times, 

 could not be obtained white; it always preserved Jts yellow 

 tint, which was especially evident on its being melted. The 

 filtered alcoholic liquor afforded on evaporation a dark green 

 acid oily liquid, which could not be obtained free either from 

 colouring matter or from solid acid. 



If after all the picrotoxine and colouring matter have been 

 removed by treatment three or four times with boiling alcohol, 

 the grains be now acted upon by aether employing the gentle 

 heat of a sand-bath, and the filtered aethereal solution be 

 placed in the cold, a shining white fat crystallizes slowly out 

 of it in arborescent aggregations. It was obtained perfectly 

 pure by dissolving it once or twice in absolute boiling alcohol, 

 which takes up very little of it, and from which it separates 

 on cooling in grains and flocks ; it has then a dull white co- 

 lour and a constant melting-point. 



Stearophanic Acid. — The pure fat thus prepared was sapo- 

 nified by a solution of caustic potash until it formed a per- 

 fectly clear jelly, and then treated by salt, the solid soap 

 dissolved in much water, and decomposed by hydrochloric 

 acid. It collects on the surface as a colourless oil, which soon 

 solidifies into a white crystalline mass. It was now boiled 

 with distilled water till all the hydrochloric acid was removed, 

 and dissolved in weak warm alcohol and filtered warm. On 

 cooling, the acid separates in small needles, which having 

 been dried by exposure to the air, or by pressing between bi- 

 bulous paper, possess a strong lustre of mother-of-pearl. Its 

 melting point is constant 68° C. ; on cooling it crystallizes in 



M 2 



