RESIN OF THE OUTER BARK OF MELALEUCA UNOINATA. 235 



The acetone solution makes a splendid cold lacquer for 

 brass. It is slightly coloured with a yellowish tint, dries 

 quickly, becomes very hard, adheres to metal with great 

 tenacity, and has a brilliant lustre, probably this is one of 

 the best uses to which the resin could be economically put. 

 It could readily be extracted by the acetone direct from 

 the finely powdered bark. 



Substances extracted. 



The bark was finely ground in a mill and passed through 

 an 80 mesh sieve. The powder contained 3*82 per cent, 

 moisture, and 1*89 per cent. ash. 10 grams of the powder 

 were treated with ether in a soxhlet for six hours, when 

 the amount extracted was 1*827 grams = 18*27 per cent. 



The same amount of powder, when extracted for twelve 

 hours, gave 20*6 per cent. The residue afterwards boiled 

 in alcohol yielded 2'68 per cent, more, so that altogether 

 23*28 per cent, was extracted. 



When dissolved directly in boiling alcohol, the amount 

 extracted was equal to 23*22 per cent. When this was dried, 

 powdered, and extracted with ether, the whole dissolved 

 with the exception of 2*6 per cent. The greater portion of 

 the freshly extracted resinous bodies was thus soluble in 

 both alcohol and ether. 



The Vegetable Wax. 



The filtered boiling alcoholic extract on cooliDg deposited 

 the wax in a flocculent condition. This was filtered off, 

 purified from boiling alcohol, dissolved in ether and filtered. 

 The substance remaining on final evaporation represented 

 not more than about 0*1 per cent, of the amount first 

 extracted. The wax was somewhat brittle after fusing, 

 and melted sharply at 67-68° C. The outer portion of a 

 stem in the green state was scraped, the powder boiled in 

 alcohol and the wax prepared as above. It was identical 



