Part IV.] Puran Sing : Note on Burmese Varnish. 
299 
The asli was found to contain traces of Sulphur and Phosphorus. 
Nitrogen (by Soda-lime) as determined by Toshida in the albu- 
minous or diastatic constituent of the .lapanese lacquer is 4'01 per 
cent. Nevertheless the composition of the diastatic matter under 
present investigation does not well agree with that of the corre- 
sponding constituent cf the Japanese lacquer, which is quoted below 
for the purpose of comparison. This fact is, however, accounted 
for by the differences of origin, soil and climatic conditions. 
Carbon 
Hydrogen 
Nitre gen 
Oxygen 
Ash . 
It is to be noted, however, that both these substances exist in the 
original juice as dissolved albuminates, which by the action of heat 
coagulate into insoluble albumen, and that both agree in containing 
a smaller amount^ of nitrogen than other albuminous substances and 
in possessing that important diastatic action on TJrushic acid to 
which the natural varnishes owe their drying power. 
As regards the nature of the diastatic action on TJrushic acid, it 
has been suggested that the disastase acts as a sort of ferment in the 
presence of moist air, oxidising the TJrushic acid into what has been 
termed oxy-urushic acid, (see above p. 291). This oxida- 
tion product of TJrushic acid was prepared in the form of a rich 
brown powder by oxidising the pure anhydrous alcoholic extract of 
thitsi with chromic acid mixture. It was found that it was refrac- 
tory to all the usual solvents both inorganic and organic, even when 
it was boiled with them. It is thus evident that as in the case of 
the hardened Japanese lacquer the resistance of the dried thitsi 
paint to all those agencies, which are capable of disorganising the 
artificial varnishes, is due to the presence of this insoluble oxida- 
tion product of TJrushic acid. 
' This is Yoshida’s observation and is based on the supposition that the nitro- 
genous residue is a pure albuminoid, but the diastatic constituents in question are 
very probably complex mixtures of an albuminoid with other undetermined sub- 
stances, so that it may be that the albuminoid present, w’hich it was found impracti- 
cable to isolate, is as rich in nitrogen as other albuminoids. 
63-44 
7-41 
. 4 01 In the ash small 
99 04 Quantities of sui- 
*"1-90 P*'”'" phos- 
- t -O phorus were detec- 
ted. 
100 '00 H. Yoshida. 
