4 COMBRET ACE. 
Description—The mature myrobalan is of on ovoid form, 
from 1—1} inches long, sometimes tapering towards the lower 
extremity, obscurely 5 or 6-sided, more or less furrowed longi- 
tudinally, covered with a smooth yellowish brown epidermis, 
within which is an astringent pulp, enclosing a large rough 
bony, one-celled endocarp. : 
The unripe fruits are shrivelled, black, ovoid, brittle bodies, 
from } to $ ofan inch in length, having a shining fracture 
and an astringent taste ; on careful examination the rudiments 
of the nut may be distinguished. © 
Chemical composition —According to Stenhouse (1843), 
chebulic myrobalans contain about 45 per cent. tannin, also 
gallic acid, mucilage and a brownish yellow colouring matter. 
Hummel has obtained 31 per cent. of tannic acid, and Paul 
32°82, and 26°81 of gallotannic acid from two ordinary samples 
of the commercial article, but from a sample of inferior quality 
only 6°11 per cent. 
Herr Fridolin (1884) reported to. the Dorpat Naturforscher. 
‘Gesellschaft the isolation from chebulic myrobalans of a new 
organic acid, which he has named chebulinic acid, and considers 
to be probably the source of the gallic and tannic acids detect- 
ed by previous observers. He obtains it by saturating an 
aqueous solution of an alcoholic extract of the fruit with so- 
dium chloride, dissolving the matter that separates in water, — 
and shaking the solution with acetic ether, which takes up the 
chebulinic acid together with tannic acid. The residue after 
the evaporation of the ether is dissolved ina little water and 
allowed to stand for a few days, when the chebulinic acid crys- 
stallizes out in rhombic prisms. The acid, which is odourless 
and sweet, dissolves very readily in alcohol and hot water, not 
so freely in ether, and with great difficulty in cold water, the 
solutions having an acid reaction. In aqueous solution the 
chebulinic acid reduces Fehling’s solution, and in some of its 
reactions it closely resembles gallic acid, but differs from it in 
affording no colour reaction with potassium cyanide. 
Fridolin suggests as a formula 
composition, C29 H2+ Or9, 
Herr i 
; probably representing its — 
(C” H° 07?) When decomposed — 
