284  Analytical  Eesearches  and  Investigations,  {^"jine'isi?™* 
spontaneously^  left  no  crystals,  the  alkaloid  being  contaminated  with 
other  substances.  The  amount  of  alkaloid  being  so  small,  I  was  not 
able  to  carry  the  investigation  further.  The  alkaloid  showed  an  alka- 
line reaction  with  litnuis  and  had  a  bitter  taste ;  it  is  doubtless  the 
active  principle  of  the  drug. 
A  decoction  of  the  bark  was  found  to  contain  sugar  and  starch  ;  l)ut 
neither  tannin  nor  gallic  acid  was  found ;  the  reactions  which  were  at 
first  thought  to  be  those  of  gallic  acid,  were  afterwards  shown  to  be 
due  to  colorino^  matter  and  acid  resin.  Ferric  chloride  o:ave  a  blueish- 
black  color ;  but  gelatin  and  tartar  emetic  gave  no  precipitates.  (J.  M. 
Bradford  obtained  a  precipitate  with  gelatin.) 
The  decoction  was  precipitated  by  acetate  of  lead,  the  precipitate 
washed,  suspended  in  water,  decomposed  by  H2S,  filtered,  heated  and 
then  tested  :  ferric  chloride  gave  a  blue  color  ;  gelatin  solution,  tartar 
emetic,  lime  solution  and  ferrous  salts  gave  no  reaction ;  but  sodic 
hydrate  gave  a  brown  color. 
The  volatile  oil,  obtained  l)y  distillation  with  water,  was  aromatic 
and  had  a  bland  taste. 
The  following  pharmaceutical  preparations  were  made : 
The  tincture,  made  with  20  per  cent,  alcohol,  four  troyounces  to  the 
pint,  Avas  bright  red,  slightly  aromatic,  of  a  bitter  taste,  and  exposed 
to  the  cold  became  slightly  turbid. 
The  Jitdd  extract,  made  with  a  menstruum  composed  of  water  eleven 
jiarts,  glycerin  one  part  and  alcohol  four  parts,  was  deep  red  or  black- 
ish red,  very  bitter  and  slightly  pungent. 
The  extract  was  n:jade  with  20  per  cent,  alcohol ;  yield,  seven  parts 
from  twenty -four  parts  of  the  drug ;  it  is  of  a  blackish-red  color  and 
has  an  extremely  bitter  and  burning  taste. 
 . 
ANALYTICAL  RESEARCHES  AND  INVESTIGATIONS. 
Collated  by  Prof.  Frederick  B.  Power,  Ph.D. 
The  Estimation  of  Glycerin  in  Sweet  Wines.  By  Dr.  E.  Borgmann. 
— The  author  calls  attention  to  the  difficulty  of  correctly  determining 
the  amount  of  glycerin  in  wines  which  still  conlain  nmch  unfermented 
sugar.  According  to  the  method  of  Reichardt,  as  modified  by  Neu- 
bauer  and  the  author,  the  sugar  by  the  treatment  with  lime  becomes 
converted  into  saccharate  of  lime,  which  adheres  so  closely  to  the  sides 
of  the  dish  that  it  can  only  be  removed  with  great  diflficulty.    For  this 
