Progress of Foreign Science. 403 



the oil itself, but less strong. After drawing it off, and leaving 

 it for a few days, it became alkaline, and its acrimony disap- 

 peared. They found that the alkaline properties were owing to 

 a subacetate of ammonia. The following are the ingredients 

 they extracted from the 200 grains of this yellow substance ; 



1 Water; 



2 Essential oil ; 



3 Carbonic acid ; 



4 Subacetate of ammonia , 



5 Traces of osmazome ; 



6 Traces of fatty matter ; 



7 Gum; 



8 Malic acid ; 



9 Malate of lime ; 



10 Bitter matter, 25 grammes ; 



11 A well characterized resin 105 grammes ; 



12 Silica 8 



13 Traces of carbonate, muriate, and sulphate of potash; 



14 Carbonate and phosphate of lime ; 



15 Oxide of iron and traces of sulphur. 



The resin is of a golden yellow colour, passing to orange red 

 on exposure to the air. The bitter matter, when dried, is white, 

 yellowish, attracts slightly the humidity of the air; put in the 

 mouth it causes, as its name indicates, a bitter taste; taken 

 inwardly in very small quantity, it destroyed the digestive 

 faculties, depriving the person of all appetite for food ; an 

 action which lasted from eight to ten hours. It occasions no 

 narcotic feeling, as the essential oil appears to do ; it is soluble 

 in water, ether, alcohol, communicating to these liquids its bit- 

 terness. With re-agents it presents the following phenomena : 



With acetate of lead . . no change, 

 Subacetate of lead ... 



Nitrate of cobalt . . . slightly troubled. 

 Muriate of platinum . . a light precipitate, insolu- 

 ble in even a large quan- 



Nitrate of silver . . 

 Infusion of nut galls 

 Nitrate of mercury . 

 Muriate of tin . . 

 Bichloride of mercury 

 Sulphate of iron . . 

 Nitrate of copper 



tity of water, 

 a slight mottling, 





 mottling, 

 slightly turbid, 

 white precipitate, 

 slight turbidity, 

 slight, flocky precipitate. 



The resin is soluble in alcohol and ether, colouring these 

 memtrua to a golden yellow. The solution yields, by evapo- 

 ration, a resin which, when detached from the capsule, is in fine 



