BALSAMUM PERUVIANUM. 209 



r 

 4. 



in the latter which may be considerably purified by charcoal, reddens 

 litmus, and is abundantly precipitated by an alcoholic solution of neutral 

 acetate of lead. Kachler (1869) by melting this resin with potash 

 obtained about f of its weight of proto-catechuic acid/ By destructive 

 distillation, it furnishes benzoic acid, styrol, C^ff, and toluol, C^H^. 



As to the solution obtained with bisulphide of carbon, it forms, after 

 the bisulphide has evaporated, a brownish aromatic liquid of about 

 11 sp. gr., termed Cinname'in. This substance may also be obtained 

 by distillation, yet less easily, on account of its very high boiling point, 

 about 300° C. 



Cinnamein, C^^H^O^ is resolved by concentrated caustic lye into 

 benzylic alcohol, C'ff '0", and cinnamic acid, C'H'O', whence it follows 

 that cinname'in is Benzylic Cinnamate. This is, according to Kraut 

 (1858, 1869, 1870) and to Kachler (1869, 1870), the chief constituent of 

 the balsam. The former chemist obtained from it nearly 60 per cent, 

 cianamein. Kachler assigns to the balsam the following composition : 

 46 per cent, of cinnamic acid, 32 of resin, 20 of benzylic alcohol. _ These 

 latter figures however are not quite consistent : 46 parts of cinnamic 

 acid (molecular weight = 148) would answer to 73 parts of benzylic 

 cinnamate ; and 20 parts of benzylic alcohol require on the other hand 

 only (mol. weight = 108) 27-4 parts of cinnamic acid in order to form 

 benzylic cinnamate (mol. = 238). 



_ Benzylic cinnamate, prepared as above stated, is a thick liquid, 

 miscible both with ether or alcohol, not concreting at - 1 2° C, boiling 

 at 305° C, yet under ordinary circumstances not without decomposition. 

 % exposure to air, it slowly acquires an acid reaction ; by prolonged 

 action of potash, especially in an alcoholic solution, toluol is also formed, 

 in this process, cinnamate of potassium finally forms a crystalline mass, 

 ymle an oily mixture of benzylic alcohol and toluol, the so-called 

 Pemvin" constitutes the liquid part of the whole. 



Grimaux (1868) has artificially prepared benzylic cinnamate by 

 Jeatmg an alkaline cinnamate with benzylic chloride. Thus obtained, 

 that substance forms crystals, which melt at 39" C, and boil at 22o to 



tP' "^'^^^^ consequently differ much from cinnamein. 



iJelafontaine (1 868) is of the opinion, that cinnamein contains besides 

 'benzylic cinnamate, cinnamylic cinnamate, C^ff^O*, the same substance 

 S described under the name of stvracin in the article Styrax hqmda. 

 f e states that he obtained benzvlic and cinnamylic alcohol when he 

 decomposed cinnamein by an alkali. The two alcohols however were 

 separated only by fractional distillation. , , . ,. , n 



*i'oni the preceding in vcstioations it must be concluded, that the 



favk of the tree contains resin and probably benzylic cinnamate. Ihe 



f ter IS no doubt altered by the process of collecting the balsam which 



^s followed on the Balsam Coast To this are probably due the free 



c^«s in the balsam and its dark colour. , . .t. . i 



Another point of considerable interest Is the fiict, that the tree exudes 

 ^Sl^iJ-resin, containing according to Attfield 77-4 per cent, of resm,- 

 2''\ '' non-aromati? and de^ oid of cinnamic acid, and therefore 

 ^^tirely distinct from balsam of Peru. The leaves of the tree contain 

 ^ ^'^agrant oil. 



dr^S'S'^'J''^^" aa benzoin, guainmim/ other substances are capable of affordir- 



many the same acid. 



^Phann. Jcurih v. (1SG4) 24y. 



O 



