38 MYRICA CERIFERA. 
There undoubtedly exists, in the berries of 
this shrub, some interesting constituents beside 
the wax and insoluble portions, as the following 
results will show. If water be distilled from the 
fresh berries, it acquires a slight pearly appear- 
ance and a fine aromatic odour and taste. This 
indicates the presence of a volatile oil, though I 
have not performed the experiment sufficiently 
in the large way to obtain any oil separate. The 
decoction remaining in the retort gives proofs of 
gallic acid. : 
When the wax, in a separate state, is boiled 
in alcohol, a portion is dissolved, which is mostly 
deposited on cooling, leaving the fluid clear. 
But if alcohol be boiled upon the berries till a 
strong solution is formed, it does not give a 
deposit on cooling, but the solution coagulates 
into a soft solid and remains afterwards unaltered. 
This coagulum is readily soluble in cold ether, 
and melts when exposed to heat. If the berries 
be boiled in water until the wax is melted and 
principally detached, the remaining parts still 
give a coagulating solution with alcohol—The 
tincture made by digesting cold alcohol on the 
bruised berries is considerably coloured, and 
becomes turbid on the addition of water, but 
whether the resinous substance thus precipitated 
