2?$     Chemical  Examination  of  lpomcea  Purpurea.    { ^m'junl'S^rm' 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  above-described  liquid  consisted 
of  the  quite  pure,  optically  active  valeric  acid,  ^-methylethylacetic 
acid,  CH(CH3)(C2H5)  .  C02H,  which  is  recorded  1  as  having 
Md  +  17*85° 
The  aqueous  distillate,  alter  the  removal  of  the  methylethylacetic 
acid  by  extraction  with  ether,  still  contained  some  acid,  which  was 
converted  into  a  barium  salt.  This  afforded  the  reactions  of  both 
formic  and  butyric  acids,  although  the  amount  of  the  former  acid 
was  relatively  small.    After  drying  at  1  io°  C.  it  was  analyzed. 
0-3936  of  the  dried  salt  gave  0  2904  BaS04.    Ba  =  43  4. 
Since  barium  butyrate  requires  Ba  =  44-1  per  cent.,  it  is  probable 
that  the  above-mentioned  barium  salt  also  contained  valerate. 
After  the  removal  of  the  volatile  acids  by  distillation  with  steam, 
there  remained  in  the  distillation  flask  a  clear  liquid.  This  was 
extracted  with  ether,  but  as  nothing  was  removed  by  this  treatment 
it  was  concentrated  under  diminished  pressure  to  the  consistency  of 
a  syrup.  It  then  still  remained  clear,  possessed  an  orange-yellow 
color  and  a  strongly  acid  reaction,  but  did  not  reduce  Fehling's 
solution  until  after  heating  with  a  mineral  acid.  With  the  object  of 
effecting  a  purification  of  the  product,  which  may  be  termed  the 
hydrolyzed  resin,  it  was  mixed  with  prepared  sawdust,  and  the 
thoroughly  dried  mixture  extracted  successively  in  a  Soxhiet  appa- 
ratus with  the  same  solvents  as  had  been  employed  for  the  extrac- 
tion of  the  original  mixture  of  resins.    The  results  were  as  follows  : 
Petroleum  (B.  P.  40-600  C.)  removed  nothing. 
Ether  extracted  a  light  yellow  syrup  (13  grammes),  which  did  not 
become  solid. 
Chloroform  extracted  a  dark  yellow  syrup  (4  grammes),  which  did 
not  become  solid. 
Ethyl  acetate  extracted  a  dark  yellow  syrup  (9-3  grammes),  which, 
on  drying,  formed  a  hygroscopic,  amorphous  mass. 
Alcohol  removed  the  remainder  of  the  material  (130  grammes), 
which  solidified  to  a  clear,  brittle  mass,  and  could  be  reduced  to 
a  nearly  colorless  powder. 
All  the  above  products  were  then  subjected  to  treatment  with 
dilute  sulphuric  acid,  in  the  following  manner  : — 
1  Ber.  d.  deutsch.  chem.  Ges.,  1896,  29,  52. 
