OBSERVATIONS ON SASSY BARK; 
307 
by heat. Sesqui-chloride of iron caused a flocculent precipitate 
of a greyish black color. Neutral acetate of lead, proto-chloride 
of tin, bichloride of mercury, and sulphuric acid, produce copious 
precipitates, and a solution of gelatin, affords a flocculent deposit. 
These tests indicate tannic acid in abundance ; but its reaction 
with the persalts of iron and tartar emetic, the latter causing only 
a slight opalescence, indicate one of the modified forms of that acid. 
When the tannin was removed from the infusion by gelatin in 
excess, and the liquid filtered, sesqui-chloride of iron caused a 
black coloration, which disappeared by heat. "When the infusion 
was treated with a solution of neutral acetate of lead to remove the 
tannin and coloring matter, the filtered liquid afforded but a 
slight precipitate with subacetate of lead, indicative of but little 
soluble gum. 
The residue of the sassy bark, after exhaustion with cold water, 
was boiled in water, and the transparent decoction filtered hot. 
As it cooled, a deposition of brownish red apotheme occurred, 
which was soluble in diluted alcohol and alkaline solutions, had 
but little taste, and that slightly astringent, due perhaps to a little 
unaltered tannin adhering, as it was colored blackish brown by 
sesqui-chloride of iron. This altered tannin exists in considerable 
quantity, as will be shown in a following experiment. 
The cold decoction was not colored blue by solution of iodine. 
The dried residue of the sassy was then exhausted with cold 
alcohol by displacement, yielding a dark kino-colored tincture, 
from which water precipitated a reddish brown substance. This 
tincture was evaporated to dryness, the residue reduced to powder, 
and a portion exhausted by chloroform, which left a brown residue 
soluble in alkaline liquids and diluted alcohol. The chloroform 
solution by evaporation deposited a mixture of fatty matter and 
resin both in small quantity. 
Five hundred grains of the bark in powder was displaced with 
commercial ether, so as to obtain six fluid ounces, and the tincture 
evaporated to dryness spontaneously. This extract, which had a deep 
red color, was nearly all soluble in alcohol .835. It was treated with 
cold water, which softened it, dissolved out the tannin, and ac- 
quired a reddish color. The extract was malaxated with repeated 
quantities of water until it ceased to lose weight. The residue 
was boiled in repeated portions of water till it was exhausted by 
that menstruum. The residue was soft and fusible at 212° F. } 
