^'"ocT'i882^'"''}  Quassim,  503 
dissolves  with  a  yellow  color  very  readily  upon  boiling  and  separates 
unaltered  on  the  addition  of  acids,  becoming  again  colorless.  It  is 
dissolved  by  alkalies  in  the  cold  somewhat  more  easily  than  by  water, 
turbidity  resulting  upon  neutralizing  the  liquid  with  acids.  Boiling 
alcohol  dissolves  it  very  freely,  but  cold  alcohol  much  less  so,  1  part 
of  quassiin  requiring  30  parts  of  84  per  cent,  alcohol  at  15°C.  In 
ether  and  petroleum  spirit  it  dissolves  with  difficulty,  but  very  freely 
in  chloroform,  of  which  2'1  part  dissolve  1  part  of  quassiin.  A  solu- 
tion in  chloroform  is  dextrogyre,  the  specific  rotation  being  a^,4-37'8. 
Quassiin  contains  no  nitrogen.  After  being  dried  to  a  constant 
weight  over  sulphuric  acid,  it  did  not  alter  in  weight  when  exposed 
for  an  hour  to  a  current  of  dry  air  at  lOO^C,  and  gave  upon  analysis 
results  corresponding  with  the  formula  C^Jl^fi^. 
Calculated.  Found. 
C  .  .  66-66         .  .  66-90 
H     .  .  .      7.52     .  .  .  7-44 
O  .  .  25-82  .  .       -  25-65 
An  aqueous  solution  of  quassia  is  not  rendered  turbid  by  metallic 
salts.  A  saturated  alcoholic  solution  gives  no  precipitate  with  a 
snnilar  solution  of  neutral  lead  acetate,  and  upon  evaporation  the 
quassiin  separates  unaltered.  Other  saturated  alcoholic  solutions  of 
metallic  salts  behaved  similarly.  Tannic  acid  produces  in  aqueous 
and  alcoholic  solutions  of  quassiin  a  white  precipitate  which  is  soluble 
in  acids  and  in  caustic  and  carbonated  alkalies. 
Dilute  hydrochloric  and  sulphuric  acids  dissolve  quassiin  in  the 
cold  somewhat  more  freely  than  water,  but  3  to  10  per  cent,  solutions, 
even  after  being  heated  in  sealed  tubes  to  125°  for  an  hour,  did  not 
reduce  alkaline  cupric  tartrate,  showing  that  quassiin  is  not  a  glucoside. 
By  treatment  of  quassiin  with  a  3  per  cent,  solution  of  sulphuric 
acid  a  new  compound  was  obtained,  crystallizing  in  fine  needles,  and 
having  only  a  slightly  bitter  taste.  It  melted  at  237 °C.,  did  not  lose 
all  its  water  of  crystallization  (four  molecules)  till  110°  C,  and  when 
anhydrous  gave  upon  analysis  results  corresponding  with  the  formula 
CgiHggOg.  It  was  very  sparingly  soluble  in  water,  required  180  parts 
of  alcohol  at  15°,  dissolved  very  freely  in  caustic  potash  and  caustic 
soda,  and  gave  no  precipitate  with  tannic  acid.  There  was  also  a 
formation  of  resinous  matter  that  could  not  be  crystallized  and  possessed 
an  intensely  bitter  taste. 
A  strong  solution  of  quassiin  in  chloroform  decolorizes  l)roinine, 
with  formation  of  hydrobromic  acid.    The  author  obtained  a  bromine 
