348 Dr. Ayres oh an Organic Matter found 



became turbid on cooling, and again recovered its transparency 

 when heated. By e\aporation it yielded a nearly white, friable, 

 granular powder, which melted on exposure to heat, and burned 

 with a white flame. 



JS. The residue [A) exhausted by alcohol, treated with cold 

 distilled water, yielded a red-brown solution so deep in colour as 

 to be opake when in bulk. It was finally exhausted, first with 

 cold and afterwards with boiling water. The solution, evaporated 

 to perfect dryness, left a black, shining, brittle residue, weighing 

 11*0 grains. 



When heated, it burned with a very feeble flame, semi-fused, 

 swelled moderately, and left a somewhat voluminous iridescent 

 charcoal, which burned ofi" very slowly. 5*5 grains yielded 

 exactly I'O grain of ashes. 



The ash was partly soluble in distilled vi^ater. The soluble 

 portion had a decided alkaline reaction, effervesced with acids, 

 remained clear on the addition of solution of caustic potash, gave 

 a precipitate with nitrate of silver which was almost wholly re- 

 dissolved by nitric acid in excess ; yielded a copious white pre- 

 cipitate with chloride of barium, which did not wholly redissolve 

 in hydrochloric acid, and gave a decided yellow precipitate with 

 bichloride of platinum and alcohol. 



The portion of the ashes insoluble in water dissolved com- 

 pletely in nitric acid with effervescence. The solution yielded, — 

 with caustic potash, a white flocculent precipitate ; with oxalate 

 of ammonia, an abundant white precipitate ; with caustic am- 

 monia, a very slight precipitate, which became abundant on 

 addition of phosphate of soda ; and with ferrocyanide of potas- 

 sium, a deep blue tint, the liquid remaining clear. 



The ashes then consisted of carbonate of potash, traces of 

 sulphate of potash, carbonate of lime, traces of carbonate of 

 magnesia and of oxide of iron. 



C. After complete exhaustion by alcohol and water, the inso- 

 luble residue B was treated, first with cold, and afterwards with 

 boiling solution of caustic potash, so long as the liquid was 

 coloured. The cold solution of potash became of so deep a red- 

 brown colour as to be almost opake, even in a single drop. 



The mixed liquids were precipitated by dilute hydrochloric 

 acid in the slightest possible excess ; the precipitate collected, 

 washed and dried, weighed 5*5 grains. It was black, shining, 

 and resembled perfectly in appearance the dried aqueous ex- 

 tract B. 



D. After complete exhaustion by alcohol, water, and caustic 

 potash, the residue was light fawn-coloured, approaching to 

 white. When perfectly dried, it weighed 7'7 grains. 



After complete incineration the loss was 2*7 grains, which 



