MATIAS  BARK.  219 
were  added  a  few  drops  of  a  strong  solution  of  tartaric  acid  with 
no  immediate  change  ;  but  on  allowing  it  to  stand  for  twenty- 
four  hours  beautiful  transparent  crystals  of  bitartrate  of  potash 
were  formed.  To  another  portion  of  the  solution  a  stream  of 
carbonic  acid  was  passed,  it  produced  a  white  precipitate. 
Oxalate  of  ammonia  threw  down  a  precipitate  of  oxalate  of 
lime. 
Experiment  9th. — 300  grains  of  the  ashes  were  digested  in 
diluted  sulphuric  acid  and  filtered ;  to  this  solution  was  added  a 
a  strong  solution  of  ferrocyanate  of  potassa,  but  no  satisfactory 
indication  of  iron  was  given. 
Experiment  10th  100  grains  of  the  ashes  were  treated  with 
diluted  muriatic  acid  until  all  that  was  soluble  was  taken  up. 
The  solution  was  again  filtered  and  a  saturated  solution  of  car- 
bonate of  ammonia  was  added  in  excess.  The  solution  was  again 
filtered  to  separate  the  carbonate  of  lime.  The  solution  was 
then  boiled  some  time,  but  it  retained  its  transparency.  After 
it  had  cooled  down,  a  solution  of  phosphate  of  soda  was  then 
added,  which  caused  a  considerable  precipitate  of  phosphate  of 
magnesia. 
The  residue  that  remained  in  the  filter  after  treating  the  ashes 
with  muriatic  acid  amounted  to  22  grains.  This  was  boiled  with 
liquor  potass  and  filtered.  Muriatic  acid  was  then  added  to 
excess.  Solution  was  then  evaporated  in  a  capsule  to  dryness, 
and  the  heat  was  raised  to  about  600°  F.  After  it  had  cooled, 
the  mass  was  dissolved  in  water  and  a  whitish  floculent  matter 
matter  settled  to  the  bottom.    This  I  take  to  be  silica. 
Experiment  11th. — Twenty  grains  of  hydro-alcoholic  extract 
were  rubbed  with  a  few  drops  of  liquor  potassa,  when  an  amount 
of  ammonia  was  given  off  quite  perceptible  to  the  smell.  Before 
I  had  completed  the  above  experiment,  my  attention  was  called 
to  an  article  by  Dr.  Ure  (Pharm.  Jour.)  upon  a  bark  he  sup- 
posed to  be  the  malambo  matias.  The  result  of  his  experiments 
agree  so  closely  with  those  I  had  made  that  I  am  forced  to  be- 
lieve that  the  barks  are  identical. 
The  bark  contains,  1,  a  volatile  oil ;  2,  gum ;  3,  starch ; 
4,  albumen ;  5,  resin ;  6,  extractive  matter ;  7,  fixed  oil ;  8,  wax  ; 
9,  potash  ;  10,  lime  ;  11,  magnesia  ;  12,  silica. 
Dr.  Ure,  in  speaking  of  the  so-called  malambo  bark,  says  it 
