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PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
slightly bitter in taste, almost insoluble in hot or cold water, to which however 
it imparts a faint tint of pink ; soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, and benzole, 
producing yellow solutions from which, with care, it may be obtained in rough 
purple crystals ; soluble in solutions of caustic alkalies, less so in their car¬ 
bonates. It appears to possess feeble acid properties, forming compounds with 
metallic oxides, which are easily obtained in the dry state, but its alkaline solu¬ 
tions deposit it unchanged on desiccation. Acetate of lead, and chlorides of tin 
and iron precipitate it from its alkaline solutions, the lead and tin precipitates 
acquiring a delicate pink tint. Its alkaline solutions are of a dense blood-red 
colour. At a temperature under 400° Fahr. it is partially volatilized, and con¬ 
denses as a yellow powder; a charred residue and a tarry oil being also pro¬ 
duced. Nitrogen could not be detected by Lassaigne’s test. 
B. That portion of the benzole extract which, after the evaporation of the 
benzole, was insoluble in alkalies, was obtained as a light green substance. It is 
sparingly soluble in alcohol and resinous solvents; more soluble in boiling alcohol, 
from which it may be procured in small green crystals having a faint golden 
lustre. It is insoluble in water and alkaline solutions, and contains no nitrogen. 
By the action of heat it is decomposed with production of a yellow sublimate 
possessing the properties of substance A. 
C. The body insoluble in benzole was precipitated from its alkaline solution 
as a dark indigo-coloured powder, drying into a hard cake. It is apparently not 
absolutely insoluble in water or alcohol, as it tinges those liquids of a faint 
violet colour. It is insoluble in chloroform and resinous solvents. It is quite 
soluble in caustic alkaline solutions, producing liquids of a dense claret-colour. 
Its deportment with solutions of lead, tin, and iron is similar to that of A ; 
its characteristic colour in combination with white oxides being a lilac or violet. 
It is not volatilized by heat. Lassaigne’s test showed the presence of nitrogen. 
Each of these substances, A, B, and C, dissolves in oil of vitriol, and precipi¬ 
tates on the addition of water. In many of their properties they seem to resem¬ 
ble products obtained from archil, litmus, and cudbear. 
The only approach to identification that I can make is in comparing the fore¬ 
going description of substances A and C with the following, given by Pelouze 
and Fremy, of Erythroleic acid and Azo-erythrin , two bodies obtained from 
Orclrella weed in the production of Archil, and the other colouring-matters. 
“ L’azo-erythrine est insoluble dans l’eau, dans l’alcool et dans l’ether ; soluble 
dans les alcalis, qu’elle colore en rouge vineux. 
“ L’acide erythroleique est soluble dansTalcool et dans Tether, presque insolu¬ 
ble dans l’eau, soluble dans les liqueurs alcalines; il est d’une couleur pourpre. 
“ M. Kane.”* 
Orchella weed is exported in large quantity from the coast of Africa, north of 
Mozambique, and it seems to me that that production is the most probable 
source of Goa powder. 
It is much to be regretted that so valuable a drug should disappear from the 
market. Any one who would furnish information whence supplies could be ob¬ 
tained would render a service to a multitude of sufierers. 
“ . . . By mentioning the importation into Goa of one package of Goa 
powder, I meant that I had authentic information of only that one shipment. 
It is not improbable that more than one shipment has been received, but I believe 
it was never a regular article of import. It is not now to be procured there, but 
a factitious preparation (a mineral powder) is made and sold instead. I am now 
unable to procure a grain of the true. 
u Goa powder found its way from time to time into Bombay in round tins (not 
labelled), holding about one pound each ; these tins were sold at from twelve to 
* ‘ Chimie Generate/ Pelouze et Fremy, vol. v. 
