218 
MATIAS  BARK. 
this  watery  solution  upon  being  evaporated  on  a  water  bath, 
yielded  135  grains  of  extractive,  of  a  comparatively  feeble  and 
bitter  taste.  This  I  take  to  be  extractive  matter,  because  the 
other  constituents,  gum  and  albumen,  that  are  soluble  in  water, 
exist  in  the  bark  in  such  minute  quantities  that  they  could  not 
make  bulk  of  the  extract,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  the  watery 
extract  may  be  properly  considered  extractive  matter. 
Experiment  6th. — Two  ounces  of  the  finely  bruised  bark  were 
exhausted  with  alcohol,  and  the  tincture  evaporated,  yielding 
195  grains  of  extract  having  a  very  bitter  taste  and  an  aromatic 
odor.  The  bark,  after  being,  treated  as  above,  was  thoroughly 
dried  and  treated  with  ether.  The  ethereal  tincture  had  a  light 
sherry  wine  color,  and  upon  being  evaporated  produced  35  grains 
of  a  light  colored  semi-fluid  extract.  This  extract  has  a  very 
bitter  taste  and  a  greasy  feel.  It  was  partially  soluble  in  alcohol ; 
paper  being  imbued  with  it  burned  brilliantly  ;  a  portion  of  it, 
after  being  exposed  on  a  glass  plate  in  a  drying  closet  for  a  week, 
still  retained  its  semi-fluid  consistence.  This  I  pronounce  fixed 
oil,  mixed  with  a  small  portion  of  resin. 
10  grains  of  this  extract  were  boiled  with  one  fluid  drachm  of 
alcohol  of  .835,  and  decanted  from  the  insoluble  portion  while 
hot ;  on  cooling  it  let  drop  a  precipitate  of  a  flaky  appearance. 
These  flakes  on  being  separated  were  almost  completely  soluble 
in  cold  ether,  entirely  when  the  ether  was  warmed.  They  are 
entirely  soluble  in  chloroform,  also  in  olive  oil ;  when  applied  to 
the  heat  on  the  point  of  a  knife  it  first  fused,  then  took  fire. 
This  substance  I  concluded  to  be  wax. 
Experiment  7th. — 200  grains  of  the  powdered  bark  were  ex- 
hausted with  ether  and  evaporated  spontaneously,  produced  30 
grains  of  extract,  composed  principally  of  volatile  oil,  resin  and 
fixed  oil ;  had  the  consistency  of  a  thick  oil ;  its  taste  is  very  bit- 
ter and  acrid,  leaving  a  tingling  sensation  on  the  tongue,  not 
unlike  that  occasioned  by  pyrethrum.  The  amount  of  volatile 
and  fixed  oil  is  remarkably  large  for  a  bark. 
Experiment  8th. — 1000  grains  of  the  coarsely  powdered  bark 
were  incinerated  in  a  crucible,  the  unconsumed  product  weighing 
140  grains.  A  strong  solution  was  made  from  the  ashes,  with 
boiling  water  and  filtered.  The  solution  had  a  very  alkaline 
taste,  and  effervesced  with  acids.    To  a  portion  of  this  solution 
