of the Persian Berries. 5 



water, in a capsule, so as to admit of free access of air. It 

 dissolves with an olive-yellow colour, and on evaporating to 

 dryness, remains as a dark, extractive-looking mass, quite in- 

 soluble in aether, but abundantly soluble in alcohol and water. 

 It may be procured also from the berries, without previous 

 separation of the chrysorhamnine, by similar treatment, but 

 it is then rendered impure by a gummy substance being 

 mixed with it. It is very difficult to determine when this sub- 

 stance can be considered anhydrous. Prepared by evapora- 

 tion over sulphuric acid in vacuo, it is quite dry, and may be 

 powdered, but if heated it liquefies below 212°, and continues 

 giving out watery vapour until the temperature is raised to 

 350°, beyond which the organic matter itself cannot be heated 

 without decomposition. On cooling it reassumes its perfectly 

 dry aspect, and may be easily powdered. 



It was hence analysed in all these stages of desiccation, 

 with the following results. It contained — 



Dried in vacuo. 



Carbon 34-74 



Hydrogen 6*93 



Oxygen 58-33 



100-00 



Dried at 212°. 



Carbon .. 49-97 51*20 



Hydrogen . 5'18 5-28 



Oxygen . . 44-85 43-52 



100-00 100-00 



Dried in an oil-bath at 320°. 



Carbon 52-55 



Hydrogen ...... 5-15 



Oxygen 42-30 



100-00 



By adding a solution of xanthorhamnine to solutions of 

 acetate of lead, two combinations may be formed, one by 

 neutral acetate of lead, the other by using the tribasic salt. 

 But it is difficult to obtain either unmixed with some traces 

 of the other, and thence the analysis of both vary a little from 

 the true atomic constitution. Thus the tribasic salt gives — 



Dried at 212°. Formula deduced. 



Carbon. . . . 26*58 

 Hydrogen . . 2*86 

 Oxygen . . . 25-97 

 Oxide of lead 45-36 44-59 

 100-00 



