; LEGUMINOSE. | 529 
ed luting the residue with water, digesting for 24 hours with 
oxide of lead, again evaporating in vacuo toa syrupy consistence, 
crystallizing upon flat plates over quicklime, which requires 
four or five weeks, and purifying by recrystallization from 
methyl alcohol and washing with absolute alcohol. Thus pre- 
red sennit has the composition C°H!*%O5, and forms colour- 
less microscopic hemiedric crystals of the rhombic system, 
ghostly sphenoids with curved sides. It has a very sweet taste, 
melts at 183° C. (corrected 185:°6), and is soluble at the ordi- 
3 parts of water, 450 of 
chloride solution, a reddish brown precipitate is produced, the 
liquid gradually becomes rose-coloured, and on spontaneous 
Similar colorations 
* 
similar reaction ; but not mannit, dulcit, 
i barium and lead were prepared; 
also an acetyl compound, showing sennit to be a pentatomic 
cohol. (Amer. Jour. Pharm., Nov., 1885; Year-Book of 
-harm., 1886.) Two comparative experiments with senna 
. Journ., Oct. 12th, 1889) 
e resins and volatile oil 
67 
cathartin than the leaves, ; 
