AAVJrTi',i872RM*}  On  the  Fruit  of  Magnolia  Tripetala.  151 
the  lead,  filtered,  evaporated  to  dryness,  washed  with  water  and  dried. 
The  soft  resin  thus  obtained  had  a  pungent  taste  when  chewed,  and 
was  readily  soluble  in  alcohol.  The  alcoholic  extract  of  the  bruised 
seeds  contains  some  fixed  oil,  to  which  its  softness  is  partially  due. 
The  amount  of  resinous  matter  is  smaller  than  in  the  capsules.  When 
the  kernels  are  separated  from  the  shell  of  the  seed,  and  pressed,  a 
bland  yellow  fixed  oil  is  obtained.  The  activity  of  the  seeds  resides 
in  the  exterior  tissues. 
Experiment  6. — The  watery  portion  that  separates  from  the  resin- 
ous extract  when  the  alcohol  is  nearly  dissipated,  in  evaporating  the 
tincture,  contains  glucose,  as  it  readily  reduces  oxide  of  copper  in 
Trommer's  test.  When  it  is  evaporated  to  dryness,  a  mixture  of 
granular  crystals  of  sugar  and  crystals  of  magnolin  is  obtained,  very 
pungent  to  the  taste. 
Experiment  7. — The  dried  capsules,  deprived  of  seeds,  were  boiled 
in  water  to  obtain  a  brown  cloudy  decoction,  which  was  strained,  being 
too  gummy  to  filter  through  paper.  It  afforded  no  precipitate  with 
gelatin,  was  not  affected  by  tincture  of  iodine,  but  sesquichloride  of  iron 
caused  a  brown  gelatinous  precipitate.  It  was  precipitated  by  acetate 
of  lead,  and  afterwards  copiously  by  subacetate.  It  was  also  precipi- 
tated by  nitrate  of  silver. 
Experiment  8. — The  recent  fruit  has  a  somewhat  aromatic  odor 
when  bruised.  Six  ounces  of  the  fresh  capsules  were  well  sliced  and 
placed  in  a  distillatory  apparatus  with  half  a  gallon  of  water,  and 
heat  applied  by  sand-bath  until  a  quart  of  distillate  was  obtained. 
This  was  slightly  milky,  with  patches  of  an  oily  nature  floating. 
The  distillate  had  the  odor  of  the  fruit  without  its  pungency,  and  con- 
tained a  small  portion  of  volatile  oil.  No  attempt  was  made  to  deter- 
mine the  inorganic  constituents  of  the  fruit. 
In  conclusion,  it  may  be  inferred  from  the  preceding  experiments 
and  their  results,  that  the  fruit  of  Magnolia  tripetala  contains  a 
crystalline  (resinoid)  principle  analogous  to  liriodendrin,  a  solid  resin 
precipitable  by  subacetate  of  lead,  a  soft,  pungent  resin  closely  allied 
to  the  crystalline  principle,  fixed  oil,  volatile  oil,  gum  and  glucose.  No 
investigation  was  made  for  acid  present  or  coloring  matters. 
