Amii°uSrt,P884ym'}  Contributions  to  Pharmacy.  403 
namyl-alcohol,  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  styracin,  and 
boiling  at  2500  C,  was  not  obtainable. 
The  resin,  insoluble  in  carbon  disulphide,  was  washed  with  carbon 
disulphide  until  all  of  the  free  acid  was  extracted,  then  it  was  digested 
with  alcohol,  which  dissolved  all  but  a  very  small  quantity  of  a  tarry 
substance  ;  the  alcoholic  solution  was  evaporated,  the  resin  dissolved 
in  2  per  cent,  soda  solution,  and  the  resin  reprecipitated  from  this 
solution  by  a  current  of  carbon  dioxide;  the  resin  obtained  in  this 
manner  constituted  a  light-brown,  flocculent  powder,  but  precipitated 
by  the  use  of  hydrochloric  acid,  the  resin  formed  large  lumps, 
and,  consequently,  was  much  darker  in  color.  Repeatedly  redis- 
solved  in  soda  solution,  reprecipitated  by  carbon  dioxide  and  dried, 
this  so-called  Peru-resin  formed  a  bulky,  light-brown,  slightly  aro- 
matic powder,  easily  soluble  in  alcohol,  alkalies,  glacial  acetic  acid, 
chloroform  and  acetone,  insoluble  in  petroleum-ether,  and  only 
slightly  soluble. in  ether;  warmed  with  water,  it  cakes  and  melts  at 
70°-8o°  C.  to  a  brown,  tenacious  mass,  which,  upon  cooling,  can  be 
kneaded  and  drawn  into  long  threads  of  a  chocolate  color  ;  boiled 
with  water,  the  latter  becomes  acid  to  test-paper  (although  the  alco- 
holic solution  is  neutral  before  boiling)  and  deposits  small  crystals 
of  an  acid  character  upon  cooling,  this  behavior  indicating  the  resin 
to  be  an  ester.  Experiment  having  demonstrated  that  the  resin,  by 
solution  in  2  per  cent,  soda  solution  and  reprecipitating  with  hydro- 
chloric acid,  is  not  saponified,  the  more  expeditious  method  of  Kraus 
for  preparing  the  resin  was  followed  :  Peru-balsam  was  dissolved  in 
a  large  quantity  of  ether  (about  4  per  cent,  of  a  brown  residue, 
changing  on  exposure  to  air  into  a  black,  pitch  like  mass,  was  dis- 
regarded ;  with  potassium  permanganate,  this  substance  gave  no  indi- 
cation of  cinnamic  acid,  although  the  resin  itself  gave  a  very  distinct 
test).  The  ethereal  solution  was  agitated  with  a  2  per  cent,  soda 
solution,  the  resin  passing  into  the  alkaline  solution,  while  the  cin- 
namei'n  remains  dissolved  in  the  ether ;  using  a  large  quantity  of 
ether,  separation  into  two  layers  readily  occurred  ;  the  alkaline  solu- 
tion, supersaturated  with  hydrochloric  acid,  separated  the  resin  and 
the  pre-existing  free  aromatic  acids.  By  washing  with  warm  water, 
the  resin  was  freed  from  the  aromatic  acids,  and  then  dissolved  in 
10-15  per  cent,  soda  solution,  and  saponified  by  boiling  for  days; 
although  the  resin  was  precipitated  every  second  day  by  hydro- 
chloric acid,  washed  free  from  the  liberated  acid,  and  saponification 
