STYRACEA. 375 
Microscopic examination shows that the coloured layer is 
chiefly composed of oblong cells containing red colouring 
matter ; the inner layer of the bark consists almost entirely of 
woody fibre. The taste is faintly balsamic and astringent. 
Chemical composition.—Dr. - Hesse reports (Ber. d. deutsch 
ch. Geselsch, X., 1,) that he has obtained from this bark three 
alkaloids, chick he has named “‘ Loturine,” “ Colloturine,” and 
"de Potursdine,’ ? and between which he thinks probably there is 
the same relation as exists between cusconine, aricine, and cus- 
conidine. Loturine is present in largest quantity (0°24 per 
cent.) ; itis crystalline, and forms crystalline salts. Colloturine 
is also crystalline but loturidine is amorphous, All three alka- 
Joids in dilute acid solutions show an intense blue-violet fluores- 
cence. Winckler obtained from this bark an alkaloidal substance 
which he named *‘ Caltfornine,” but Hesse believes this to have 
been a mixture of the acetates of the three alkaloids. Pelletier, 
Caventou and Winckler have separated Kinovin (Quinovin) from 
the bark of China nova. Kinovin forms an amorphous, nearly 
transparent resin, triturable to a light, white powder, inodorous, 
or faintly balsamic when warmed. ‘Tasteless at first, but after 
wards very persistently and disagreeably bitter and acrid ; 
neutral ; electric when rubbed. (Winckler, Hlasiwetz.) re 
alcoholic solution it exerts a dextro-rotatory action on polarised 
light ; (a) j= 52-4 (De Vrij). Kinovin may be obtained in 
the anhydrous state by keeping it in a vacuum fora month, 
but ee be dehydrated at once, even ata temperature of 
190°: kinovin dried at 100° to 140° contains from 1 to 2 
liboins of water, which is given off at 160° to 180°. (Blasiwetz.) 
According to Hlasiwetz, kinovin corresponds with the formula 
CS °H48Q 16, 3 according to Petersen the formulais C!5H'20*; 
according to Schnederman C38H°°O!°, (Gmelin, Handtook 
xvili., p. 26.) The bark contains no tannin according to 
ummel. The ash amounts to 7°4 per cent. containing 18 per 
cent. of carbonate of soda, 
~ Commerce.—The bark is obtainable in. nail the. I ndian market, 
Value, Rs. 3 to 84 per Surat maund of sie Ibs. 
