POKE. 43 © 
not being thrown down by the oxymuriatic. or 
other mineral acids, and in being but partially 
affected by muriate of tin. 
In the mnales de Chimie, vol. Ixxii, is a me- 
moir on the Chemical properties of the Phyto- 
lacca decandra by M. Braconnot. His experi- 
ments indicate the presence of an unusual quan- 
tity of vegetable alkali in this plant. He found 
that the ashes, procured by incinerating the stalks, 
afforded nearly 67 per cent. of dried alkaline car- 
bonate, and 42 per cent. of pure caustic potash. 
This alkali in the plant is neutralized by an acid 
having considerable affinity to the malic, but 
with a few shades of difference. With lime and 
lead malic acid forms flocculent precipitates, very 
easily soluble in distilled vinegar, but those with 
the phytolaccic acid are insoluble. M. Bracon- 
not thinks this acid may probably be a mean be- 
tween the malic and oxalic acids, or an oxygeniz-. 
ed malic acid. | . 
The same memoir contains an examination of 
the colouring matter in the berries of the Phyto- 
lacea. ‘The juice of these berries is of a very 
fine, bright purple colour, but this colour is ex- 
tremely fugacious and disappears in a short time 
from cloth or paper that has been tinged with it. 
A few drops of lime water added to this purple 
