ALOE. 



080 



H 



30 



The portion of aloes insoluble in cold water was formerly distin- 

 guished as i^esm o/^^es, from the soluble portion which was called 

 Bitter of aloes or Aloetin. From the labours of Kossmann (18G3), these 

 portions appear to have nearly the same composition. The soluble 

 portiOQs treated with dilute sulphuric acid, is said to yield Aloeresic 

 and Aloevetic Acids, both crystallizable, besides the indifferent sub- 

 stance Aloeretin. These observations have not to our knowledge been 

 confirmed. 



It has been shown by Tilden and Rammell' that the i?^*??'/? of 

 Aloes may by prolonged treatment with boiling water be separated 

 mto two bodies, which they distinguish as Soluble Resin A. and In- 

 soluble Resin B. With the first it is possible to form a brominated 

 compound, which though non-crystalline is apparently of definite com- 

 position. In the view of these chemists the Resin A. is a kind of anhy- 

 pmwo^i ^arbalom--Barbaloin, 2(C-''W^'0'') less H^O^Aloe Resin A., 

 C ii"'0-''. ^ The resin boiled with nitric acid yields a large amount of 

 cnrysanimic acid, together with picric and oxalic acids, and carbonic 

 anhydride. Insoluble Resin B. was found to have nearly the same 

 composition as Resin A. 



Aloes treated with various reao-ents affords a number of remarkable 

 products. Thus, according to Rochleder and Czurapelick (18G1) it 

 yields, when boiled with soda-lye, colourless crystals an inch long, 

 which appear to consist of a salt of Paracumaric Acid, together 



With small quantities of fraOTant essential oils and volatile fatty 

 acids. 



L 



, When boiled with dilute sulphuric acid, aloes yields paracumaric 

 acid, from which by fusion with caustic potash, as also directly from 

 ^oes Hlasiwetz (18G5) obtained Para-oxybenzoic Acid (p. 408). 

 Weselsky (1872-73) has shown that accompanying the last two pro- 

 ducts, there is a peculiar, crystallizable acid, CH^'O^ which he lias 

 teamed Alorcinie Acid. 



% distillation with quick-lime, E. Robiquet (184G) obtained Aloisol, 

 a yellowish oil, which Rembold (18G6) proved to be a mixture of dime- 



phenol {Xylenol) C'K' joif'^' ^^^^' acetone and hydro- 



Nitric acid forms with Bai-badoes aloes, but still better, as Tilden has 

 r!?T?v<7^*^ barbaloi-n, Aloetic Acid, C'^ff(NOyO^ Chryscmmic Acid, 



carbons. 



Acid. The 



& 



Chi 



VVhen somewliat strongly heated, aloes swells up considerably, and 

 f fter Ignition, leaves a liAit, slow-burning charcoal, almost free from 

 Sj?^« constituents. Ordinary Cape aloes, for example, dried at 



^-, leaves only 1 per cent, of ash. 



ommerce— There were 



rear lS7o, 6264 cwt. of aloes. Of this quantity 



^ Fharm. Journ. Sept. 21, 1872. 235. 



2x 



imported into the United Kingdom in the 

 Of this quantity. South Africa shipped 



