ieh^ssb^'''^'}        Analysis  of  Fouquieria  Splendens.  83 
ocotilla  bark  reduced  to  fine  pieces  gave  2  per  cent,  and  3' 5  per  cent, 
less  than  the  percentage  obtained  from  the  estimations  with  the 
powdered  substance.  Determination  of  total  ash  gave  10*26  per  cent.; 
a  qualitative  ash  analysis  showed  the  presence  of  calcium,  magnesium, 
aluminum,  potassium,  sodium  and  a  trace  of  iron,  sulphates,  phosphates 
and  chlorides. 
Ten  grammes  of  the  air-dried  powder  treated  with  petroleum  spirit 
of  boiling  point  46°  C.  extracted  a  substance  without  aromatic  odor, 
communicating  to  the  liquid  alight  color.  From  100°  C.C  a  measured 
portion  was  evaporated  for  determination  of  total  amount  of  substances 
brought  into  solution.  The  residue  dried  at  100°  C.  gave  9  per  cent., 
at  110°  C.  8-87  per  cent.,  at  120°  C.  8*875  per  cent,  and  a  loss  of  '125 
per  cent,  showing  scarcely  appreciable  trace  of  volatile  oil.  The 
remainder  of  the  petroleum  spirit  extract  on  evaporation  at  the  ordinary 
temperature  left  a  solid  yellowish-green  wax  substance  of  specific 
gravity  '984,  melting  from  84°  C.  to  85°  C,  insoluble  in  water,  slowly 
soluble  in  boiling  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  readily  in  absolute  alcohol,  in 
cold  ether,  chloroform,  amyl  alcohol,  benzol,  carbon  disulphide,  oil  of 
turpentine  and  linseed  oil ;  slightly  dissolved  in  aqueous  alkalies,  but 
not  saponifying  with  them.  It  is  colored  yellow  by  nitric  acid,  acted 
upon  by  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  and  not  by  hydrochloric  acid  nor 
aqua  regia.  By  means  of  combining  sulphuric  acid  and  solvents,  I 
was  able  to  obtain  several  color  reactions  that  may  prove  upon  further 
investigation  of  value  in  identification  of  the  different  vegetable  waxes. 
With  Japanese  wax,  the  only  specimen  of  vegetable  wax,  I  could  ob- 
tain, the  color  reactions  differed  in  each  test  from  the  substance  under 
consideration.  The  following  color  reactions  were  obtained  with  the 
petroleum  spirit  residue.  When  small  fragments  were  stirred  on  a 
watch  crystal  with  two  or  three  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  of 
1*84  sp.  gr.  the  substance  at  once  changed  color  to  a  clear  garnet  red 
and  w^as  slowly  dissolved  by  the  acid,  the  liquid  remaining  colored ; 
with  different  portions  of  the  red  acid  liquid  stirred  on  a  watch  crystal 
with  various  solvents  used  in  excess,  it  was  noted  as  follows  :  With 
absolute  alcohol  the  color  was  instantly  dissipated  leaving  a  white 
precipitate ;  petroleum  spirit  discolored  the  acid  solution,  leaving  no 
precipitate  ;  ether  discolored  with  gray  precipitate ;  chloroform  changed 
the  red  acid  liquid  to  yellow,  no  precipitate;  with  benzol  the  red 
color  was  changed  to  snuff-brown  gradually  passing  to  red-brown  ; 
amyl  alcohol  gave  a  rose-pink  and  slowly  passing  through  varying 
