CRYSTALLINE DEPOSIT OCCURRING IN TIMBER. 195 



brilliant appearance. The accompanying photograph (Plate 

 IX) gives a good idea of the form of the crystals under the 

 microscope, enlarged 35 times. 



The crystals were insoluble in petroleum ether, slightly 

 soluble in ether and in benzene, somewhat soluble in hot 

 alcohol, but not very soluble in cold alcohol. They were 

 exceedingly soluble in chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, 

 but from these solvents a varnish remained at first, which 

 slowly reverted to the crystalline form after several days. 



The crystals dissolved in boiling water, but not very 

 readily, separating out again on cooling. The pure crystals 

 required 1470 parts of cold, water at 22° O. to dissolve one 

 part of substance, and the purest crude material in the 

 wood was only soluble one part in 1315 parts of cold water 

 at the same temperature, indicating the comparative 

 absence of soluble impurities associated with the crystalline 

 deposit when in the wood. 



The aqueous solution of the pure crystals was quite 

 neutral, and did not reduce Fehling's solution, either before 

 or after boiling in acid. An ammoniacal solution of nitrate 

 of silver was slightly reduced on long boiling. No color- 

 ation was obtained with ferric chloride, and the usual 

 reagents gave no precipitate, except a very slight one with 

 basic acetate of lead. The crystals were insoluble in 

 potash and in the alkalis generally, even on boiling, except 

 when the solution was sufficiently dilute to act like water, 

 in which case the crystals separated unchanged on cooling. 



In glacial acetic acid the crystals dissolved readily and 

 without colour. With nitric acid they dissolved with a 

 yellow colour forming a dinitro compound. With sulphuric 

 acid they dissolved forming a very deep ruby or reddish- 

 brown colour, and on adding water a purple-brown precipi- 

 tate separated. When heated with hydrochloric acid a 

 dark brown amorphous substance was produced. 



