STUDY OF YUCCA ANGUSTIFOLIA 143 



Yuccal is imperfectly soluble in 95 per cent, alcohol; solu- 

 ble in boiling absolute alcohol, in cold ether, and amyl alco- 

 hol; not appreciably soluble in chloroform, benzole, carbon 

 di-sulphide, or alcoholic ammonia. Cold acetic ether dissolved 

 the coloring matter from the resin, leaving a colorless solid. 

 Hot acetic ether dissolved it perfectly. Yuccal when heated 

 on platinum foil gave off as it burned a pleasant and aromatic 

 odor. Tests failed to show the presence of benzoic or cin- 

 namic acids. A blood-red color reaction was obtained by warm- 

 ing yuccal with a crystal of ammonium molybdate and a few 

 drops of strong nitric acid. Warm dilute nitric acid dissolved 

 the resin, colorless; cold nitric acid gave a brownish-green 

 color reaction. Yuccal was mixed with concentrated nitric 

 acid and heated. After some time had passed, an energetic 

 reaction occurred and nitrous fumes were given off. A yel- 

 lowish-brown residue was one of the products of the reaction. 

 This residue was almost insoluble in water or acids. It was 

 soluble in alcohol and potassium hydrate. 1 



As the ether extracts (i) and (2) were concentrated, white 

 needle-shaped crystals appeared floating in the liquids, whose 

 physical structure, and insolubility in water and acetic ether, 

 suggested identical substances. The crystals separated from 

 yuccal by the lead acetate method, already described, have 

 not been sufficiently studied to identify them with the white 

 needle-shaped crystals in the ether extracts nor with any 

 class of chemical compounds. However, the absence of gallic 

 acid, glucosides, and alkaloids in the aqueous extracts from 

 ethereal residues, would show that the crystals separated from 

 yuccal are a constituent part of the resin. 



The experiments with spirit of different strengths are only 

 of value, as far as they were carried out, in showing the possi- 

 bility of separating the resin into distinct parts. 2 



Tannin was not present in these ethereal extracts. 



Ethereal extract (3) was green-colored and fluorescent from 



1 See foot-note 3, ether extract (2). 



2 The amount of material on which these experiments, as well as others 

 described in this paper, were tried, was too small in quantity for me to, obtain 

 more conclusive results. The facts which have been ascertained will serve 

 as a guide in future investigations. 



