36 MELASTOMACEZ, 
and the presence of a yellow glucoside in the leaves. The 
latter he considered not to bear any resemblance to chryso- 
phanic acid. ie 
A proximate analysis of the leaves, which we have made, 
icdicated the following constituents :— 
Moisture 6-90 
Chlorophyll and resins . 5°5) 
Resins, malic acid and glucose; spirit extract 16-0 
Colouring matter, gum, malates and glucose; water 
extract 
- Dissolved by soda solution 
Starch and pararabin removed by boiling dilute HC)... 
Crude fibre and silica ro bikes 
23°32 
The total malic acid amounted to 6-48 per cent., glucose 6-25, 
and the total inorganic matter 11°80 per cent. The alcoholic 
extract was brown in colour, sweet and styptic to the taste, and 
nearly all soluble in water ; the solution readily reduced 
Hing’s solution, and gave a crystalline precipitate - 
acetate. The aqueous solution was yellow-culoured ; it a 
a precipitate of mucilage and salts with two volumes of alcoho 
and gave a crystalline precipitate with lead acetate. A dec 
tion of the leaves afforded a green colour with iodine solut 
through the blending of the natural colour with the starch 
iodide. The colouring matter is freely soluble in water, spar: 
ingly in spirit, and insoluble in ether. The aqueous solution 
turned greenish-brown by ferric chloride and is not affected 
gelatine, the colour is not precipitated by 
acetate or by acids ; 
