Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 69 



exists ready formed in the rhubarb, and that it is not acted upon 

 by the nitric acid. — Journ. de Chim. Med. ii. 286. 



ZANTHOPICRITE, — A NEW VEGETABLE COLOURING PRINCIPLE. 



MM. Cheeallier and G. Pelletan have given this name to a 

 crystallized substance which they extracted from the bark of the 

 Zanthoxilum of the Caribbee Islands. After having made a spiri- 

 tuous extract and washed it with small quantities of water to 

 separate a red colouring matter, a resinous matter is dissolved by 

 asther. The residuum redissolved in alcohol, yields by sponta- 

 neous evaporation groups of diverging acicular crystals, which 

 are silky, of a yellow colour with a shade of green, and suffer 

 no alteration by long exposure to the air : these crystals, which 

 are Zanthopicrite, are readily soluble in water, more so in alcohol, 

 but not at all in aether ; they are extremely bitter, inodorous, 

 excite the secretion of saliva, and do not act upon stained pa- 

 pers. When heated in a glass tube, a portion of zanthopicrite 

 is volatilized, and another portion is decomposed with the usual 

 results of vegetable decomposition. The aqueous solution of this 

 substance is yellow ; animal-charcoal removes the colouring princi- 

 ple perfectly, but it may be obtained again by boiling alcohol. It 

 is not precipitated by the greater number of re-agents when di- 

 luted with water; some of them when concentrated produce this 

 effect, but the precipitate is redissolved on the addition of water. 

 A very small quantity of gold precipitates it entirely ; the ci)m. 

 pound formed is soluble in alcohol and ammonia. — Journal de 



Chim. Med. 



ALTHEIN, — A PECULIAR SUBSTANCE IN MARSHMALLOW. 



M. Bacon, professor of chemistry at Caen, obtained the following 

 substances from the Althea officinalis : — water, gum, sugar, fat oil, 

 starch, albumen, lignin, different salts, a transparent substance 

 which is not acid, and crystallizes in octahedrons (althein), malate 

 of althein. Althein is obtained by the following process: — Prepare 

 a cold watery extract of marshmallow root, treat it with boiling 

 alcohol, which dissolves acidulous malate of althein, oil, &c. Mix 

 all the spirituous decoctions, which become turbid as they cool, 

 pour off the clear solution, treat the crystalline deposit with water, 

 filter the solution, and evaporate it with a gentle heat to the con- 

 sistence of a syrup, and set it aside to crystallize. The crystals 

 obtained are to be washed with a small quantity of water, and dried 

 upon paper. These crystals appear to the unassisted eyein the form 

 of grains, needles and feathers, and stars, but when examined with a 

 glass they exhibit the hexahedral form. They are of a magnificent 

 emerald-green colour, remarkably distinct, inodorous and unaltera- 

 ble by exposure to the air ; they redden litmus paper, are soluble 

 in water, but insoluble in alcohol. The aqueous solution of these 

 crystals, treated in the cold with magnesia, and filtered, restores the 

 colour of litmus which has been reddened by an acid, and renders 

 syrup of violets green : by evaporation the althein is obtained sepa- 

 rate from the malic acid, and it possesses the following properties : 



It 



