WOOD. 299 



no Medullary Rays, are visible to the naked eye. The 

 reduced wood, shaken in cold water, gives only a trace of 

 red substance ; more is yielded on boiling. The important 

 constituent is Brazilin, which is soluble in water and 

 alcohol. Brazil-wood is used in dyeing red; the color is not 

 permanent unless fixed with mordants. Eed ink is pre- 

 pared by boiling the wood in water and adding a little 

 gum or alum. Paper saturated with it is used in chemical 

 analysis as a test for sulphurous acid, by which it is 

 bleached; also for fluorine, which turns it yellow. The 

 wood is used in fine cabinet-work. 



282. Pterocarpua santalinus (family LeguminosoB), of 

 India, is the Red Sandalwood. The tree grows to a 

 height of twenty or thirty feet, and has a heavy, close- 

 grained wood. The heart-wood is of an intense red color; 

 exposed to the atmosphere it becomes brownish and black- 

 ish. In a transverse section of the wood isolated ducts 

 are visible, but no Medullary Rays can be seen ; the latter 

 become visible in a radio-longitudinal section. The color- 

 ing matter is contained in the tissue of the Medullary Rays, 

 ducts, and parenchyma. It is but slightly soluble in cold 

 water. With ammonia-water, a carmine red, and with 

 alcohol, a light yellowish-brown extract, is obtained. The 

 important constituent is Santalin. This wood is used both 

 for dyeing and in cabinet-work. 



283, The wood of Rhus eotinus (family Anacardiacem) 

 is. called Young Fustic, or Xante. Fustic, or Fustet. 

 The plant is shrubby, or arborescent, and is found in the 

 Mediterranean region. The heart-wood is golden-yellow, 

 sometimes inclining to greenish. The small pith is brown- 

 ish. The annual rings are evident to the naked eye, but 

 the Medullary Rays are'scarcely distinguishable without 



