408 MR. SCHUNCK ON RUBIAN AND ITS PRODUCTS OF DECOMPOSITION. 
in amorphous masses consisting" of spherical grains. The boiling alcoholic solution, 
if very coneentrated, also deposits part of the substance on cooling in amorphous, 
spherical, translucent grains, which have the appearance of drops of oil, but by re- 
dissolving these in fresh alcohol, crystals of the usual appearance are obtained. The 
alcoholic solution does not redden litmus paper in the least. The watery solution 
gives no precipitate with nitrate of silver, but if chlororubian be treated with boiling 
nitric acid it is decomposed with an evolution of nitrous acid, forming a colourless 
solution, in which nitrate of silver produces a precipitate of chloride of silver. The 
action of sulphuric and muriatic acids, caustic alkalies and chlorine on chlororubian, 
I shall treat of presently. Chlororubian dissolves in boiling solutions of the carbon- 
ates of potash, soda and ammonia, forming blood-red solutions, which deposit nothing 
on cooling. Baryta water imparts to the watery solution a deep red colour, and on 
boiling dark red docks are deposited, while the liquid becomes almost colourless. 
Lime water turns the watery solution red without producing any precipitate, but the 
ammoniacal solution gives with chloride of calcium a light red flocculent precipitate, 
while the supernatant liquid becomes colourless. The watery solution ‘gives no pre- 
cipitate with the acetates of alumina and peroxide of iron. On being treated with 
a boiling solution of perchloride of iron, chlororubian dissolves with a brownish- 
yellow colour, which after some tinie becomes dark brown, while a black powder is 
deposited. The alcoholic solution of chlororubian does not change on being mixed 
with an alcoholic solution of acetate of lead, but the watery solution gives with basic 
acetate of lead a light red precipitate, the liquid retaining a reddish colour. The 
alcoholic solution gives no precipitate with acetate of copper. An alkaline solution 
of chlororubian reduces chloride of gold to the metallic state, even in the cold. 
Chlororubian produces no effect on mordants, on trying to dye with it in the usual 
manner. 
On submitting chlororubian to analysis the following results were obtained :< — 
I. 0‘4100gim., dried in the water-bath and burnt with chromate of lead, gave 
0‘7690 carbonic acid and O’ 1860 water. 
0’4760grm,, burnt with lime, gave 0T260 chloride of silver. 
II. 0’4780grm. of the same, recrystallized from boiling alcohol, gave 0*8950 car- 
bonic acid and 0*2100 water. 
III. 0*5470 grm. of another preparation gave 1*0270 carbonic acid and 0*2400 
water. 
0’7720grm., burnt with lime, gave 0*2015 chloride of silver. 
IV. 0*4425 grm. of the same preparation as the last gave 0*8320 carbonic acid and 
O’ 1960 water. 
0 5450 grm., on decomposition with fuming nitric acid to which a little nitrate of 
silver was added, gave 0*1380 chloride of silver. 
V. 0*4975 grm. of a new preparation gave 0*9330 carbonic acid and 0*2240 water. 
0’8580grm., burnt with lime, gave 0*2180 chloride of silver. 
