58 — ~HMENISPERMA CEA. 
ites bbb’: ‘hase ‘subcordate or truncate, when young villonl 4g 
on both surfaces; petiole 4 inch long. Root very crooked and — 
twisted upon itself, keeled, seldom branched, but giving offa _ 
few thin fibrous rootlets ; external surface light brown, near 
smooth, transverse section pale yellow, marked with radiati 
darker yellow lines ; odour peculiar, acrid; taste disagreeable 
_ and bitter : | 
Chemical composition.—The air-dried stems and roots were 
well bruised ina mortar and extracted with rectified spirit 
in a Thorn’s extractor. The resulting tincture was then ev 
‘porated ata low temperature on a water bath till free fi 
alcohol. Water was added to the viscid extract, and 
_ turbid mixture, which possessed a strong acid reaction, 
repeatedly agitated with ether. During agitation a 
amount of dark, soft resinous-looking matter separated 
adhered to the bottom of the bottle. The original extract 
thus divided into three portions—ethereal solution A, separat 
resin B, aqueous residue C, 
The ethereal solution A, which was ofa dark ye 
hue, was agitated with dilute hydrochloric acid; duri 
agitation the aqueous acid solution became turbid From 
separation of dark brown flocks, The ether was separated 
was of a yellowish colour; it left on spontaneous evaporation 
yellowish-green soft resin, which possessed a very fray 
odour, not unlike that of Tolu balsam. Treated with ben 
it was partially soluble, No further examination was made 
this portion, 
The aqueous solution filtered from the brown flocks abo 
mentioned, was of a dark brown colour. The addition 
ammonia caused the separation of pinkish flocks, and 
solution acquired a reddish hue. The turbid solution was 
agitated with chloroform-ether which acquired a pink co 
The separated chloroform-ether left on evaporation © 
. yesidue, non-crystalline, soluble in alcohol, the: colour 
‘that of a tineture of Sander’s wood. The alcoholic se 
