ON  HEMATOXYLIN.  455 
ammonia.  It  dissolves  pretty  readily  in  boiling  water  or  alcohol, 
but  separates  in  its  previous  form  on  the  cooling  of  the  solution. 
It  consists  of  amorphous  hematoxylin,  and  this  may  perhaps 
be  the  reason  why  solution  of  hematoxylin  in  biborate  of  soda 
produces  a  greater  or  less  deviation  in  polarized  light.    A  simi- 
lar behaviour  to  that  of  chloride  of  sodium  is  also  exhibited  by 
the  chlorides  of  potassium  and  ammonium,  ferrocyanide  of  pot- 
assium, and  bisulphite  of  ammonia,  but  chloride  of  sodium  gives 
the  most  beautiful  precipitate.  Oxalate  of  potash,  and  sulphate, 
phosphate,  and  carbonate  of  soda  produce  no  precipitates.  Bi- 
sulphite of  ammonia  dropped  into  the  solution  of  hematoxylin 
in  borax,  immediately  produces  a  slimy  precipitate.     This  dis- 
appears when  the  solution  is  boiled,  but  separates  again  in  its 
characteristic  form  on  its  cooling.    By  continued  dropping  of 
bisulphite  of  ammonia  into  the  syrupus  fluid,  the  point  is  soon 
reached  at  which  the    amorphous   hematoxylin  disappears. 
Crystals  of  hematoxylin  are  then  very  soon  obtained.  If 
amorphous  hematoxylin  be  dissolved  in  boiling  water,  and  a 
drop  of  muriatic  acid  be  added  to  it,  so  that  a  distinctly  acid 
reaction  is  produced,  crystals  are  very  soon  obtained,  usually 
with  2IIO. 
Hyposulphite  of  soda  when  heated  dissolves  considerable  quan- 
tities of  crystallized  hematoxyline ;  the  solution  has  a  purple 
color,  and  on  cooling  deposits  amorphous  hematoxylin,  which 
appears  somewhat  colored. 
Hematoxylin  is  rather  difficult  of  solution  in  solution  of  chlo- 
ride of  sodium,  but  dissolves  more  readily  in  solution  of  chloride  of 
barium.  From  the  latter  fluid  the  crystals  C32  H14  012+6HO  sepa- 
rated, but  in  the  course  of  24  hours  these  had  become  com- 
pletely transformed  into  C32  H14  012+2HO.  Phosphate  of  soda, 
PO5,  is  capable  of  dissolving  a  large  quantity  of  he- 
matoxylin, and  behaves  very  like  the  solution  of  borax,  but 
retains  its  basic  reaction.  When  carefully  employed,  it  but 
slightly  reddens  hematoxylin — Qhem.  Cfaz.,  June  15th,  1859, 
from  Journ.  fitr  Prakt.  Chemie. 
