LYTHRACEZ. . 
plant: the greater part of the alcohol distilled off, and the 
remainder allowed to evaporate by exposure to air. When free 
from alcohol the extract was boiled with water, and the liquid 
_ separated from insoluble matter while hot. The filtrate was at 
first of a dark reddish brown colour, but became turbid on 
cooling, a dark resin separating on the sides of the capsule: no 
crystalline matter separated. After standing for some days the 
fluid was separated from suspended matter, and agitated with 
ether. The ether extract was of a yellow colour, indistinctly 
crystalline, possessed a very aromatic odour, and had a strongly 
acid reaction. An aqueous solution gave a deep brownish, almost 
black precipitate with ferric salts : with ammonia a deep caramel 
yellow colour, which darkened somewhat on exposure, With 
_ alkaloidal reagents negative results were obtained; after boiling 
with dilute sulphuric acid, the solutionslightly reduced Fehling’s 
solution, indicating the probable presence of a glucoside. 
Some of the aqueous solution rubbed on the skin of the arm 
produced no vesication. The dark resin which separated on 
_ water, dried to a brittle black mass, but with a purple tinge, in 
_ thin layers. This substance was easily soluble in alkalies, and 
cold nitric acid it dissolved at once, forming a deep reddish 
liquid, which after standing for a short time evolved nitrous 
fumes. In acetic acid it was also soluble, but less readily than 
in nitricacid. In ether it was insoluble. An alcoholic solution 
_ gave with ferric chloride a black precipitate, which was changed 
_ to dark brown on the addition of acids. Applied to the skin in 
_ alcoholic solution negative results were obtained. That portion 
_ Of the alcoholic extract originally insoluble in water consisted 
_ Of resinous matter. Some of the powdered plant was distilled 
with water, the distillate had a slight odour, but yielded 
_ practically no extractive when agitated with ether. In one 
_ with ammonia, but on repeating the experiment negative results 
q were obtained. An alcoholic tincture of the plant applied to the ; cs 
_ skin of the arm produced no vesication, and a pimeilnts negative = 
