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EXAMINATION OF THE BARK OF MONESIA. 
hydro-alcoholic extract of Monesia, made directly with the 
powder, not treated beforehand with sulphuric ether, is em- 
ployed; and when the tannin is separated by means of parch- 
ment, as has been stated above, we can readily obtain glycyr- 
rhizine, with the characters described. To do this, it is ne- 
cessary to act upon the product, freed from tannin and brought 
to a dry consistence, with hot alcoholized sulphuric ether; the 
vehicle leaves the sugary principle by its evaporation, and the 
acrid and coloring matters are afterwards obtained. 
Acrid Matter — Monesine. 
The product which is now about to occupy us, is doubt- 
less one of the most important contained in Monesia bark. 
Having recognised in the portion A, the existence of other 
principles, and having examined them in part, we have, in 
the portion B of the extract, endeavored to isolate only the 
acrid substance. 
To this end, the extract dissolved in hot alcohol at 25, and 
filtered, was treated with an excess of lime reduced to fine 
powder. The decoloration was complete, and the filtered al- 
coholic liquid was subjected to a slow and careful evaporation 
to complete dryness. The residue was submitted to pure 
water, and filtered, after which it was evaporated anew with 
the same precautions. 
The product obtained constitutes the acrid matter of Mo- 
nesia, for which, at present, we shall retain the name of Mo- 
nesine, which, in the first instance, we have bestowed upon 
it, although it has considerable analogy to saponine, and also 
to polygalic acid, &c, as we shall demonstrate. 
This acrid matter, dried at 20, presents the appearance of 
transparent plates, slightly yellow, very friable, like dried 
gum. It is easily reduced to a white powder, readily dis- 
solves in alcohol and water, hardly in sulphuric ether; it com- 
municates to water the property of frothing considerably. By 
no means of evaporation, either in the atmosphere, or in a 
vacuum, could we make it crystallize, for the solutions dried 
