Properties of Rosewood and other Hard Woods. 373 



^vllat follows was made by treating them witli the ordinary 

 solvents used for this purpose. 



First, as to the rosewoods. The specimen to be treated 

 was reduced to fine sawdust, and allowed to digest in twice 

 its bulk of shale naphtha at a temperature of about 150° F. 

 (65*50 C). The naphtha, after twenty-four hours, was 

 drawn off, and the sawdust thrown on a filter and washed 

 with more hot naphtha till nothing further would dissolve. 

 The naphtha solution had a pale colour, and on evaporation 

 left a yellowish resin. 



After leaving the sawdust for a time in a warm place to 

 get entirely rid of the naphtha, it was next treated in a 

 similar manner with ether, until everything which it would 

 dissolve was extracted. The evaporation of the ether gave 

 a second resin of generally a very dark colour. 



By a similar process a third extract was made with 

 methylated spirit (alcohol), the solution being very dark 

 coloured and on evaporation giving a resinous body of an 

 extremely dark, almost black colour. 



The relative proportions of these extracts varied in the 

 different rosewoods examined, as will be seen from tlie 

 following table : — 



Kind of Wood. Treated with Quantity of 



Extract. 



Rio de Janeiro Rosewood, Dalhergia ( Naphtha, 1-527 per cent, 



sp.? Specific gravity, -932, \ f^^'^^^ ^2.46 ,, 



Bahia Rosewood, Balhergia sp.?( J^^^pl^tl^aj l'^^^ » 



Specific gravity. -953, ^ ^ | S',,, ^^ ;; 



Honduras* ^ Rosewood, Specific ^ ^>^^^^^' J|^^ » 



gravity, -670, . . . .| ^^^^^^^ 



8-549 



East Indian Rosewood, Dalbergia ( Naphtha, 1-555 „ 



latifolia. Specific gravity, I Ether, 3-981 „ 



•825, ( Alcohol, 11-234 „ 



Sissoo (East Indian wood), Dal- f Naphtha, 3-800 „ 



hergia Sissoo. Specific gravity. < Ether, 3-760 „ 



•910, . . . . ; ( Alcohol, 10-000 „ 



The naphtha extracts have the ready solubility in 



* The specific gravity of the specimen of Honduras rosewood operated upon 

 ajipears to be exceptionally low. 



