416 PHLORIZIN. 



cut up into small pieces, boiled with water, foreign 

 substances precipitated by means of lead acetate, the 

 excess of lead removed from the filtered solution by 

 means of sulphuretted hydrogen, and the filtrate eva 

 porated to a syrup from which the sesculin gradually 

 crystallizes. 



Properties. Colorless, fine prisms, of a slightly bit 

 ter taste, but little soluble in water. Even an exceed 

 ingly dilute solution is very fluorescent, the reflected 

 light being of a bright-blue color. The fluorescence 

 disappears in the presence of acids, reappears on the 

 addition of alkalies. Difficultly soluble in alcohol. 

 Dilute acids resolve it into sugar and aesculetin. 



Hexacetyl-sesculin, C 15 H 10 (C 2 IPO) 6 9 + H 2 0. Is 

 formed by the action of acetyl chloride or acetic anhy 

 dride on aesculin. Small, colorless needles, that give 

 up water at 130. Brought in contact with anilin at 

 the boiling temperature sesculin yields tnanil-cesculin, 

 C 15 H 16 9 + 3C 6 EraT 3H 2 0. 



C 9 H 6 O + H 2 0. Exists ready formed 

 in the bark of the horsechestnut. If sesculin is di 

 gested with dilute sulphuric acid, it dissolves, the solu 

 tion having a yellow color, and sesculetin is deposited 

 in its place in crystals. Fine, colorless needles and 

 laminae, very sparingly soluble in water, but slightly 

 in alcohol, very easily soluble in alkalies, the solutions 

 being yellow. Is decomposed by heating with caustic 

 potassa into formic acid, oxalic acid, and protocatechuic 

 acid (p. 356), or an acid isomeric with the latter, cesci- 

 oxalic acid. 



5. Phlorizin. 



C 21 H 24 10 + 2II 2 0. 



Occurrence. In the bark, especially the root-bark, of 

 the apple, cherry, pear, and plum-tree, from which it 

 can be extracted by means of boiling water or warm 

 dilute alcohol. It is purified by recrystallizing from 

 hot water. 



