FUSCIN. 91 



It is so little volatile that when boiled with wate very little 

 of it, if any, is volatilized. It dissolves in forty times* its weight 

 of boiling water, and 200 times its weight of cold water. 

 If we evaporate the solution, the water may be driven off, leav- 

 ing the ammolin behind. Ammolin is very soluble in alcohol and 

 ether. 



Chlorine decomposes it ; the products are muriate of ammolin, 

 animin, fuscin, and an extractive-looking matter. Ammolin 

 combines readily with extractive matter and resins. It is more 

 strongly alkaline than any of the three preceding bases When 

 boiled with ammoniacal salts, it expels the ammonia, doubtless 

 in consequence of its little volatility. When even a great 

 excess of ammonia is added to an ammolin salt, very little of the 

 ammolin is disengaged. 



The ammolin salts are oily, very soluble in water and alcohol ; 

 but insoluble in ether. Sulphate and nitrate of ammolin are 

 probably decomposed when distilled, free ammolin coming over, 

 mixed with the products of decomposition. Acetate and mu- 

 riate of ammolin may be distilled over almost completely, with- 

 out being decomposed. With succinic and benzoic acids am- 

 molin forms oily salts, which may be heated without undergoing 

 decomposition.* 



CHAPTER VI. 



OF FUSCIN. t 



To Unverdorben we are indebted also for the discovery of fus- 

 cin, which he extracted from unrectified Dippel's oil by the fol- 

 lowing process : 



One part of the oil is mixed with one-eighth of hydrate of 

 potash dissolved in six parts of water. This mixture is cautiously 

 distilled till the volatile substances and the empyreumatic oil 

 pass into the receiver, and there remains in the retort solution 

 of potash united to pyrozoic acid, on which swims a viscid pitchy 

 substance. It is this last substance which contains the fuscin. 

 When it is digested in acetic acid a portion is dissolved. This 

 portion is precipitated by the alkalies. The precipitate is brown. 



* Unverdorben, Poggendorf's Annalen, xi. 74. 

 | The name derived from,/sci/s, Irown. 



