SOLID HYDROCARBONS IN PLANTS 283 
treat it with boiling absolute alcohol, filter out the wax, 
which separated on cooling, and allow the filtrate to evaporate 
at the ordinary temperature. By fractional crystallization at 
least three substances of different and definite crystalline forms 
have been separated. We have, at present, examined only one 
of these constituent compounds; whether the others are the 
result of oxidation during the separating and purifying pro¬ 
cesses or exist as such in the plants, we are now unable to 
state. 
The subject of our communication is the compound the least 
soluble in alcohol of the three obtained by fractionation. It 
formed silky, acicular crystals, often two to four centimeters 
in length, which, under polarized light, gave a play of colors. 
It also exhibited decidedly electrical properties. To determine 
the melting-point, about 0.5 of a gram of the crystals were 
placed directly in the inner tube of an apparatus devised by 
Roth, for the determination of melting-points. The substance 
melted at 196.2° C. to 196.4° C., leaving a clear, amber-colored 
mass. On heating to a higher temperature, the substance de¬ 
composed and vapor was driven off in dense clouds. It had an 
odor very like sandal wood; when condensed upon a cool sur¬ 
face, the sublimate consisted of fluffy crystals of a lowxr melt¬ 
ing-point. 
The silky, acicular crystals were soluble in petroleum-ether, 
ethylic and acetic ethers, benzole, chloroform, hot alcohol, gla¬ 
cial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and linseed oil. The addition 
of water to the acetic anhydride reprecipitated the substance, 
in white, flaky masses. The crystals were insoluble in hot, 
cold, or acidulated water, or in the alkalies or other hydrate 
solutions; insoluble in amyl alcohol and alcoholic soda. Nitric 
and sulphuric acids dissolved the crystals; sulphuric acid gave 
a reddish-brown coloration. 
The first ultimate analyses of this purified product from 
Cascara amarga gave the following results 
I. 
II. 
m. 
C. 86.30 
86.29 
86.33 
H. 12.96 
12.96 
12.83 
