466 Intelligence a7id Miscellaneous Articles. 



rectified spirit ; when the greater part of the s})irit has been distilled, 

 the solution becomes deeper coloured, but retains its transparency. 

 As the temperature declines, a white granular resin is deposited by 

 a species of crystallization ; the whole is then allowed to dry spon- 

 taneously, that all the resin may concrete ; the dry residuum is then 

 treated with water, which dissolves the coloured portion, and leaves 

 the resin untouched; the solution contains mudarine. 



By exposure to the air, it dries readily, forming a mass of a pale 

 brownish colour, perfectly transparent and homogeneous in appear- 

 ance, having no tendency to crystallize, but becoming full of cracks, 

 diverging from the centre, exceedingly brittle, and having no adhe- 

 sion to the capsule containing it, from which it peels off spontaneously. 

 It has no smell, and is intensely bitter, with a very peculiar nauseating 

 taste. It is exceedingly soluble in cold water, at the ordinary tem- 

 perature of the atmosphere. It is also soluble in alcohol, but the 

 power of this solvent is increased by raising the temperature. It is 

 insoluble in sulphuric aether, oil of turpentine, and olive oil. 



It is in the solution in water, when nearly saturated, that the pecu- 

 liar property of mudarine is most easily exhibited. 



At ordinary temperatures this solution is quite fluid and transpa- 

 rent. When heat is gradually applied, it suft'ers at 74° slight dimi- 

 nution of transparency and limpidity ; these changes increase with 

 the temperature, so that at 90° its transparency is nearly lost, and 

 it acquires the consistence of a tremulous jelly ; hut if it be then suf- 

 fered to cool, it recovers in a day or two its original limpidity and 

 transparency. If, instead of withdrawing the heat when it has risen 

 to 90°, it be further increased, other changes occur ; at 93° it is fully 

 gelatinized, and now there appears to be a separation taking place 

 into two parts, a soft brownish coagulum and a liquid nearly colour- 

 less, not unlike the separation of the serum from the crassamentum 

 of the blood, as it spontaneously contracts. At 98° the coagulum 

 contracts in size, while the fluid increases in proportion ; at 130° it 

 seems to dissolve ; probably, however, it is only reduced in size by 

 contraction ; at 185° the coagulum is very small, and has a tenacious 

 pitchy consistency, and at 212° little further change occurs. 



The alterations which in this state it undergoes on cooling are next 

 to be observed. At 140° the fluid is very turbid, t! e coagulum is not 

 diminished, and is hard and brittle; at 110° the fluid is less turbid, 

 the coasjulum remarkably brittle, with a resinous fracture; at 100° 

 the fluid is more transparent, with thin detached pellicles on the sur- 

 face. When cooled down even to the freezing temperature, the coa- 

 gulum remains unaltered, and very much resembles colophony; but, 

 after the lapse of several days, it gradually liquefies in the portion of 

 fluid in contact with it, without passing through the intermediate 

 form of a jelly. The coagulum, when separated from the fluid, is a 

 transparent brown ma.ss, exceedingly brittle, not deliquescent; frag- 

 ments angular, lustre resinous, taste bitter and nauseous, adhering 

 to the teeth. 



In this state it seems at first not to be soluble in distilled water, 

 but after some days it is dissolved in it, with the same phenomena as 



in 



