1/54 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON CUSPARIA FROM ANGUSTURA BARK. 

 M. Saladin obtains cusparia from angustura bark by the follow- 

 ing process: Digest seven parts of the bark in 20 parts of alcohol, 

 of sp. gr. 079.5, without heat: let the spirit evaporate gradually at 

 a very low temperature. After some days have elapsed, there will be 

 observed vory slight mammellated crystalline appearances, in a 

 magma of colouring and extractive matter, &c. &c., and also de- 

 posited as acetates upon the upper part of the sides of the vessel. 

 When carefully separated from the liquor, pressed and freed by a 

 small quantity of water from the greater part of the foreign sub- 

 stances mixed with it, the crystalline form appears regular, though 

 not very distinct. 



By fresh treatment with alcohol, of sp. gr. O'SSiQ, and successive 

 agitation with a little hydrate of lead freshly precipitated and aether, 

 it separates, though with difficulty, from the fatty and colouring 

 matters with which it is mixed ; and it presents, even after some hours' 

 exposure to a freezing mixture, acidulous crystal.*, united in con- 

 centric groups, the greater part of which are tetrahedrons and va- 

 rious modifications of this form. 



These crystals dissolve in alcohol, and more rapidly when moist 

 than after drying ; the solution is bitter and slightly acrid : it does 

 not act either as an acid or as a base. It dissolves readily in acids, 

 and forms during their concentration, especially in acetic and mu- 

 riatic acids, a white flaky deposit, which retains acid strongly even 

 after a number of washings : it appears, however, to be merely a 

 hydrate of cusparia. 



It is insoluble in the volatile oils and aether, but dissolves in small 

 quantity in water, according to its temperature : 1000 parts of water, 

 at 55° Fahr., dissolve 5\5 parts; at 212°, 11'0-t parts. Alcohol of 

 0-8356 at 60° dissolves 37-100dths of its weight. 



Nitric and fluoric acid at common temperatures render cusparia 

 yellowish green ; sulphuric acid turns it reddish brown : neither iodic 

 nor muriatic acid produces any visible alteration : the salts and the 

 protoxides of iron and tin, the acetate andsubacetate of lead do not 

 precipitate its solutions. These characters are sufficient to distin- 

 guish it from brucia ; like brucia and salicine, however, it possesses 

 the property of being reddened by pernitrate of mercury. — This test 

 will serve to detect the smallest admixture of salicine with sulphate 

 of quina, even -j-i^. 



Tincture of galls precipitates cusparia abundantly both from water 

 and alcohol : the alkalies dissolve it partially without altering it. 

 Chlorine, iodine and bromine in the gaseous state colour it ; the first 

 of a straw yellow, and the two last brown. In the first case, the 

 cusparia becomes more soluble in the state of a peculiar acid: the 

 washings contained only traces of chlorine. 



When heated to 130" Fahr. and gradually higher, cusparia first 

 melts, and then loses 23 09 per cent, of its weight. It doss not ap- 

 pear to suffer any alteration until it is heated to about 270° Fahr. ; 

 it then burns, without leaving any appreciable residue, and without 

 subliming or phosphorescing : its vapour at a lower degree does not 



