STUDY OF YUCCA ANGUSTIFOLIA 
143 
Yuccal is imperfectly soluble in 95 per cent, alcohol; solu¬ 
ble in boiling absolute alcohol, in cold ether, and amyl alco¬ 
hol; not appreciably soluble in chloroform, benzole, carbon 
di-sulphide, or alcoholic ammonia. Cold acetic ether dissolved 
the coloring matter from the resin, leaving a colorless solid. 
Hot acetic ether dissolved it perfectly. Yuccal when heated 
on platinum foil gave off as it burned a pleasant and aromatic 
odor. Tests failed to show the presence of benzoic or cin¬ 
namic acids. A blood-red color reaction was obtained by warm¬ 
ing yuccal with a crystal of ammonium molybdate and a few 
drops of strong nitric acid. Warm dilute nitric acid dissolved 
the resin, colorless; cold nitric acid gave a brownish-green 
color reaction. Yuccal was mixed with concentrated nitric 
acid and heated. After some time had passed, an energetic 
reaction occurred and nitrous fumes were given off. A yel¬ 
lowish-brown residue was one of the products of the reaction. 
This residue was almost insoluble in water or acids. It was 
soluble in alcohol and potassium hydrate. 1 
As the ether extracts (1) and (2) were concentrated, white 
needle-shaped crystals appeared floating in the liquids, whose 
physical structure, and insolubility in water and acetic ether, 
suggested identical substances. The crystals separated from 
yuccal by the lead acetate method, already described, have 
not been sufficiently studied to identify them with the white 
needle-shaped crystals in the ether extracts nor with any 
class of chemical compounds. However, the absence of gallic 
acid, glucosides, and alkaloids in the aqueous extracts from 
ethereal residues , would show that the crystals separated from 
yuccal are a constituent part of the resin. 
The experiments with spirit of different strengths are only 
of value, as far as they were carried out, in showing the possi¬ 
bility of separating the resin into distinct parts. 2 
Tannin was not present in these ethereal extracts. 
Ethereal extract (3) was green-colored and fluorescent from 
1 See foot-note 3, ether extract (2). 
2 The amount of material on which these experiments, as well as others 
described in this paper, were tried, was too small in quantity for me to obtain 
more conclusive results. The facts which have been ascertained will serve 
as a guide in future investigations. 
