r.AKK AM) si:i:i) oil of triciulia i-mhiica. 49- 



I'lic acicl was S()lul)lt.' in alcohol, cliloroforiii, and ciIkt, 

 and (.Tystallisetl in lon^ neetlles from alcohol. A solution in 

 chloroform had no action on p<ilarisc(l li.s^ht. 



l-'urthcr investif^ations on the com])osition of this acid are 

 in progress, although it appears to be only a glyceride of stearic 

 and oleic acid with small ([uantities of caproic acid. 



The bark oif Tricliila cmctica, which is known to the Natal 

 kafifir as the Vuikhuln, is used as a purgative medicine. A quan- 

 tity of this bark weighing <Soo grams was percolated with hot 

 alcohol. The brown viscous extract contained about 100 grams 

 of extractive matter. I'his was mixed with water and distilled 

 with steam, but no volatile product was obtained. The liquid 

 was filtered from a small quantity. of a brown resinous, stickv 

 mass (A), and then washed with boiling water. On allowing 

 the filtrate to stand for a week, a considerable (|uantity of a 

 very similar substance was deposited : this was separately filtered 

 ofif (B). The filtrate (C) v/as concentrated to a small bulk in 

 a vacuum. 



(A) This resin, which amounted to about 20 grams, was 

 dissolved in alcohol and evaporated to dryness with purified 

 sawdust, and then thoroughly extracted with petroleum ether 

 in a Soxhlet apparatus. The ether extract consisted of a sticky 

 brown mass which was dissolved in ether and shaken witli 

 animal charcoal for two or three days. This treatment removed 

 hardly any colouring matter. The solution was filtered and 

 then shaken with an aqueous solution of caustic potash. The 

 ix)tash solution was separated, but yielded no acid on acidifica-- 

 tion. The ether solution was washed with water and evaporated, 

 and the residue boiled wath alcoholic potash. The alcohol was 

 then removed, water added-, and extracted with ether. The 

 ether was driven ofif, the residue mixed with potash and fused, 

 dissolved in water and extracted with ether. This, on evapora- 

 tion, yielded about half a gram of an amorphous substance 

 slight!}' soluble in water, but no crystals could be obtained from 

 it. It gave with ferric chloride a green solution, which became 

 reddish on addition of sodium carbonate. This is probably pro- 

 tocatechuic acid. 



(B) On examination of residue (B), it was found (juite 

 as refractory as the resin (A), and yielded nothing crystalline. 



(C) The aqueous liquid was concentrated to a bulk of 

 about TOO c.c. and shaken with ether. The ether was allowed 

 to evaporate spontaneously, but nothing was obtained from it. 

 It was also shaken with chloroform, but nothing was obtained. 



The aqueous liquid which had been extracted with ether 

 and chloroform was treated with basic lead acetate. This pro- 

 duced a brown precipitate, which was filtered ofif and then 

 suspended in water and decomijosed with sulj^huretted hydrogen, 

 filtered, and tested after acidifying with sulphuric acid with the 

 usual alkaloid reagents. These gave negative results. 



The filtrate from the basic lead acetate ])recipitate was 

 freed from lead, and this solution also tested for alkaloids, but 



