142 



PLANT AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



The ethereal residue (the residue insoluble in water) was an 

 opaque, reddish-yellow colored substance, and was identified 

 as a resin. It melted at 79 C. It was insoluble in ether, ben- 

 zole, chloroform, and acetic ether; incompletely soluble in cold 

 absolute alcohol, amyl alcohol, carbon di- sulphide, and oil of 

 turpentine. It was soluble in aqueous and alcoholic soda. On 

 boiling with them, it was saponified. Concentrated sulphuric 

 acid dissolved the resin and colored it a yellowish brown. 

 Chloroform formed a turbid mixture with the acid solution. 

 The action of strong nitric acid on the resin was slow. The 

 resin was incompletely soluble in 95 per cent, alcohol. Lead 

 acetate gave a cloudliness with the alcoholic solution which 

 increased on boiling. Ferric chloride thickened the alcoholic 

 solution, and on boiling it gave a yellow precipitate which 

 was insoluble in acids, alkalies, absolute alcohol, and acetic 

 ether. The chloroform extract gave no coloration with bro- 

 mine solution. 



SUMMARY II. ETHEREAL EXTRACTS 



The residues from the ether extracts (i) and (2) of the bark 

 and of the wood of the root contained resins which were 

 identified as the same compound. They correspond in color, 

 melting-point, specific gravity, solubilities, and reactions. The 

 resin is a transparent, ruby-colored substance, crystalline in 

 structure, and of a softer consistency than ordinary resin. 

 It was examined by Hirschsohn's scheme. 1 It differed from 

 all described resins in its reactions with the reagents used to 

 identify them. It is proposed to name it yuccal. 2 



1 Loc. tit. * See foot-note, ether extract (2). 



