SCITAMINEM 413 



resinous Impurities, aud some also in the oil. Curcumin tlius 

 prepared crystallizes from alcohol in stout needles, appearing on 

 microscopic examination to be made up of well-formed prisms 

 with, square ends, or in spindle-shaped crystals often arranged 

 in radiate groups. It has an orange to yellow colour, according 

 to the size of the crystals^ with a beautiful blue reflex; its solution 

 in ether exhibits a strone^ i2:reen fluorescence. It is inodorous 



o & 



w^hen pure ; melts at 178°, apparently with decomposition. It 

 is nearly insoluble in water, somewhat soluble in cold, more 

 readily in hot ethyl and methyl alcohols, more soluble in glacial 

 acetic acid, less in ether, very slightly in benzene and carbon 

 bisulphide, and all but insoluble in light petroleum. Strong 

 sulphuric acid dissolves it with a fine reddish purple colour, 

 gradually changing to black from charring; curcumin dissolves 

 readily in alkalies and alkaline carbonates. Its ammoniacal 

 solution gives off ammonia when boiled, and deposits unaltered 

 curcamin. Baryta water converts it into a blackish-red powder, 

 but lime water gives a red solution like that obtained with 

 calcium carbonate. Curcumin is not afiected by acid sodium 

 sulphite. Pure curcumin gives^ as the mean of several analyses^ 

 G8'30 per cent, carbon and 5*63 hydrogen, loading to the 

 formida C^'H^^O', which requires 68'29 carbon, 5'G9 hydrogen, 

 and 26'02 oxygen^ and this formula has been confirmed by the 

 analysis of several derivatives. For an account of the deriva- 

 tives of curcumin, confer. P/u(/\ Jonrn.y Dec. 30th, 1882. 



Turmeric oil or Tunnerolj to which turmeric (and therefore 

 curry powder) owes its aromatic taste and smell, has been ex- 

 tracted from Bengal turmeric by C- L. Jackson and A. E, 3Ienke 

 with light petroleum, and after being freed from the higher- 

 boiling portion of that solvent by heating to 150^ in a flask, 

 it formed a thicldsh oily yelloAV liquid having a pleasant aro- 

 matic odour. It was purified by fractional distillation under 

 diminished pressure^ and was thereby separated into three 

 portions, the first boiling below 103^, the second at 193° to 

 198*^, and the third consisting of a viscous semi-solid residue. 

 The middle portion consisted of nearly pure turmerol ; the first 

 of that substance contaminated with hydrocarbons from the 



