IS 52.] On Hircine, a new Resin. 77 



7. It melts and drops in the flame of a candle, and an impression 

 may be taken upon it ; resembling in this respect very bad bazar 

 sealing wax. 



8. It burns in the forceps, or in a porcelain capsule, with a blazing 

 yellowish flame, with numerous strong jets of gas* and a dark smoke 

 like the best bituminous coal. Towards the end of this first combus- 

 tion it swells into a round, tough, carbonaceous ball, and the flame 

 expires. This ball has a very peculiar semi-animal odour which may 

 be described as that of coarse hair, or Hircine, whence its name ; 

 but it is not so strong as to be altogether disagreeable. When this 

 coal is again heated upon a large piece of platinum foil it swells, and 

 flames, and jets exceedingly, the gaseous emanations covering the whole 

 of the platinum foil with flame, as if alcohol, ether, or naphtha was 

 projected from the burning mass ! When the flame, expires it leaves 

 a very light charcoal and a coat of grey dust on the platinum. The 

 whole of this dust and coal, when burned to a grey ash in a platinum 

 crucible, is found by acids and the blowpipe to consist of minute por- 

 tions of Iron and Silica without any trace of Lime or Alumina. 



Solubility in Water, 



9. By boiling in distilled water it softens, and the powder gives 

 out with the steam the peculiar odour above alluded to. It does not 

 colour the water in any material degree, but Nitrate of silver renders 

 the solution slightly turbid. When it is evaporated, a slight portion 

 of a white gummy matter is left in the capsule which has no smell or 

 taste ; so far at least, as a minute trial with a small quantity of the 

 resin could ascertain. 



In Alcohol. 



10. It is but little soluble in cold Alcohol. In boiling Alcohol 

 about one-half of it, or less, is dissolved when powdered, giving a gold 

 yellow solution ; the insoluble part is a brown granular residuum, and 

 the Alcohol has flaky white masses suspended in it which do not settle. 

 These collected on a filter give a greyish white crust, which boiled in 

 fresh Alcohol dissolves also, leaving only a little granular deposit ; the 

 Alcohol remaining colourless. Upon platinum this white crust flames 

 quickly with a bright white flame and burns without any residuum but 

 always with the peculiar hircine odour, though not in so strong a 

 degree. When the Alcoholic solution of the white crust is evaporated 



