VERATRIC ACID, ETC. 359 



continued boiling, into carbonic acid and orcin. When 

 its alcoholic solution is boiled ethyl orsellate, a crys 

 talline body, is produced. 



3. Acids, C 9 H 10 = C 8 H 7 



1. Veratric acid, C 9 H 10 4 . Is contained in sabadilla- 

 seeds (from Veratrum sabadilla)^ To prepare it, ^ the 

 powdered seeds are exhausted with alcohol and a little 

 sulphuric acid, the extract mixed with lime, filtered 

 and the alcoW distilled off from the filtrate. Veratrin 

 (see Alkaloids) separates, and from the filtered solution, 

 which contains calcium veratrate, the free acid is ob 

 tained by precipitating with hydrochloric acid. By 

 recrystallization from alcohol it is purified. 



Colorless prisms ; difficultly soluble in cold water, 

 more readily in hot water, and in alcohol ; fusible, and 

 when carefully heated, sublimable. Gently warmed 

 with an excess of baryta it is resolved into carbonic 

 acid and veratrol (p. 310). 



2. Everninic acid, C 9 H 10 O. In the lichen Evernia 

 prunastri there occurs an acid, evernic acid, C 17 H 16 7 , 

 that crystallizes in small, colorless prisms and is very 

 similar to lecanoric acid. This can be extracted from 

 the lichen by milk of lime and precipitated from the 

 filtered solution by hydrochloric acid. This acid is 

 resolved into orsellic acid (p. 358, or its decomposition- 

 products, orcin and carbonic acid) and everninic acid 

 when boiled with alkalies or baryta-water. Fine, 

 colorless crystals, resembling those of benzoic acid, al 

 most insoluble in cold water, easily soluble in hot water, 

 in alcohol, and ether; fuses at 157. Its aqueous solu 

 tion is colored violet by iron chloride. 



3. Umbellic acid, C 9 H 10 4 . Is produced by heat 

 ing an alkaline solution of umbelliferone (p. 307) with 

 sodium-amalgam. Colorless, granular crystals ; diffi 

 cultly soluble in cold water, easily soluble in alcohol 

 and ether ; fuses below 125, but suffers partial decom- 



