Chemistry. xlix 
9. Gingoic Acid.—Gingko biloba is a name given by Linnezus 
to a tree from Japan, which was brought to England about the 
middle of the last century, and which has gradually made its 
way to all the other countries of Europe. It blossomed for the 
first time in England, and Sir James Edward Smith published a 
description of it under the name of Salisburya adianthifolia. 
This name has been adopted by Wildenow, and in the new 
edition of the plants in Kew Gardens; but almost all other bota- 
nists have retained the old name. M. Peschier has lately made 
some experiments on the juice obtained by expression from the 
fruit of this tree, which is about the size of a nut. Its taste is 
astringent ; it reddens vegetable blues, and contains in it an acid 
which bears a close resemblance to the gallic acid; but which 
M. Peschier considers as possessing peculiar properties, and 
which, on that account, he has distinguished by the name of 
gingoic acid. 
action of gallic acid obtained by sublimation, and of the 
the fruit of the gingko upon different reagents. 
Gallic Acid. 
1. Precipitates calcareous salts. 
2. Does not alter the salts of 
barytes, strontian, and mag- 
nesia. 
3. Renders lime-water brown, 
without occasioning a preci- 
pitate. 
4. Forms a brown cloud in 
barytes-water, which is re- 
dissolved. 
5. With strontian water, the 
_ same. 
6. Has no action on muriate of 
platinum. 
7. Forms a brown precipitate 
in a solution of gold. 
8. A brown precipitate in ace- 
tate of copper. 
9. No action on sulphate, ni- 
trate, and muriate of copper. 
10. Changes ammoniacal sul- 
— of copper to brown; 
ut no precipitate. 
1]. Very little action on acetate 
- oflead, and none on nitrate. 
Vou. XIII. 
The following table exhibits the comparative 
juice of 
Juice of the Fruit of Gingko. 
1. Ditto. 
2. Ditto. 
3. Forms a white precipitate, 
which becomes gradually 
brown. 
4. Forms a permanent brown 
precipitate, and the liquid 
remains brown. 
5. Ditto. 
6. Ditto. 
7. Forms areddish-yellow pre- 
cipitate, which becomes 
brown. 
8. Ditto. 
9. A brown precipitate in the 
nitrate and muniate, a slight 
greenish cloud in the sul- 
phate. F 
10. Occasions a bluish-green 
precipitate. 
11. Forms white precipitates 
with all the solutions of lead. 
d 
