170 



Pepperinillt-StearoptenrrCoo H20 O2. Forms m the oil of 

 peppermint when kept at a low temperature. Colourless, trans- 

 lucent, shining prisms, of tlie smell and taste of the oil, fusible at 

 25' to 36°, boiling at 208° to 213°, readily soluble in alcohol. 

 Yields with anhydrous phosphoric acid the hydrocarbon Men- 

 then— Coo His. 



Pereirill. Alkaloid of the Pereira-bark, which comes from 

 Picramnia ciliata. Draw out with acidulated water, precipitate 

 the extract with ammonia, withdraw the P. from the deposit with 

 ether, evaporate and purify by dissolving in acid water and precipi- 

 tating with ammonia. — White-yellow, amorphous powder, very 

 bitter, of alkaline reaction, fuses without loss of weight and is 

 afterwards decomposed, dissolves very little in water, imparting ta 

 it a bitter taste, also in alcohol and in ether, in concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid with a beautiful violet colour passing into brown, on 

 dilution with water successively into olive-green and grass-green ; 

 readily soluble in diluted acids, forming neutral, amorjihous salts, 

 mostly soluble in water and in alcohol. 



Peru-Balsam or Black Peru-Balsam. Exudation, aided by 



artificial heat, of the stem of Älyroxylon Pereirte (Flueckiger and 

 Hanbury), according to foi'mer authors, also of M. peiiiiferum and 

 M. pubescens. It is similar in colour and consistence to dark 

 molasses, smells vanilla-like but somewhat empyreumatic, tastes a 

 little bitter, sharp and burning, has a density of 1 "15-1 "16 and an 

 acid reaction, dissolves completely in strong alcohol, partially in 

 ether and oils. — It consists of about 23°/^ resin (agreeing with 

 the resins of tolu-balsam and benzoin), a little styracin, 7°/o 

 cinnamomic acid and 69% volatile oil. The latter is not 

 obtainable by simple distillation, but the Balsam has to be 

 treated first with soda-solution, as directed under Oil of Balsam of 

 Peru. 



Peucetlauin = C.24 Hi>2 Oo. Crystalline substance of the root 

 of Peucedanum ofiicinale and P. Ostruthium. By concentrating 

 the alcoholic extract of the root, the P. crystallises and has to be 

 recrystallised in alcohol. — It forms colourless, rhombic prisms 

 without smell and taste, while the alcoholic solution has a 

 burning, aromatic and long-lasting acrid taste ; it fuses at 75° and 

 is decomposed with more heat, is insoluble in Avater, little soluble 

 in cold, readily in hot alcohol, in ether, in volatile and in 

 fixed oils, likewise unaltered in concentrated but not in diluted 

 sulphuric acid; decomposes with alcoholic potash into angelic acid 

 and Oreoselon = Cu II5 O3, isomeric with benzoic acid. The 

 lattei- is a yellowish-white, crystalline, inodorous and tasteless 

 substance, fusible at 190°, becomes carbonised by more heat, 

 is insoluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol and iir ether. 



