AVrni;m2?M  }   On  the  Fruit  of  Magnolia  Tripetala.  147 
until  exhausted,  and  the  solutions  permitted  to  evaporate  spontaneously, 
when  colorless  crystalline  matter  separated,  like  that  from  the  fresh 
capsules,  with  some  soft  resin  dissolved  and  precipitated. 
JExperi?nent  2. — A  quantity  of  the  seeds  were  macerated  in  alcohol 
of  95  per  cent,  for  six  days,  the  tincture  filtered  and  allowed  to 
evaporate  spontaneously.  A  dark  brown  semi-fluid  extract  resulted, 
which,  on  standing,  became  charged  with  numerous  crystals.  The 
whole  was  then  subjected  to  pressure  between  bibulous  paper  until  the 
dark  fluid  portion  was  absorbed,  and  the  crystals,  yet  impure,  were 
left  on  the  surface.  These  were  treated  with  hot  benzine,  which 
yielded  them  in  a  pure  colorless  condition  on  cooling  and  by  evapora- 
tion. The  paper  containing  the  absorbed  dark  portion  was  treated 
with  ether,  and  the  ethereal  solution  evaporated.  This  extract,  by 
treatment  with  benzine,  gave  additional  quantities  of  the  crystals. 
Experiment  3. — A  tincture,  made  from  the  bruised  seeds,  was 
boiled  with  magnesia,  as  in  the  process  for  liriodendrin,  until  the 
color  became  grayish  brown,  and  filtered  hot,  evaporated  to  one-third, 
mixed  with  three  times  its  bulk  of  water,  and  set  aside.  After  stand- 
ing several  days  a  few  crystals  were  deposited. 
Experiment  4. — Another  portion  of  the  tincture  of  the  seeds  was 
boiled,  with  the  addition  of  some  hydrate  of  lime,  for  half  an  hour, 
until  the  mixture  assumed  a  greenish  brown  color.  It  was  then  fil- 
tered, evaporated  and  thrown  into  water  as  before.  The  yellow  tur- 
bid liquid  was  set  aside  for  several  days,  when  numerous  flattened, 
acicular  crystals  of  a  light  amber  color,  from  a  quarter  to  half  an 
inch  in  length,  studded  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  vessel  and  floated 
on  the  liquid.  These  crystals  were  free  from  lime,  were  destroyed  by 
heat  and  soluble  in  benzine. 
The  several  crystalline  products  obtained  in  the  preceding  experi- 
ments from  the  capsules  and  seeds  separately  treated,  appear  to  be 
the  same  substance  when  carefully  recrystallized  from  benzine.  In 
the  fruit  this  substance  is  intimately  associated  with  a  soft  resin  pos- 
sessing considerable  acrimony,  and  it  has  been  observed  that  the 
purest  crystals  have  the  least  acrimony.  The  taste  is  at  first  feeble 
from  its  insolubility,  but  when  swallowed,  after  a  time  an  irritation  of 
the  fauces  is  produced — an  effect  noticed  at  once  when  the  alcoholic 
solution  is  tasted. 
When  the  impure  crystals  are  tasted,  the  impression  on  the  tongue 
is  almost  painful,  and  the  choking  sensation  is  immediate.  When 
