280 
lllicimn  Floridaimm. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1885. 
drops  of  alcohol.  This  liquid,  like  the  dry  resin,  gave  a  green  color 
with  sulphuric,  hydrochloric  and  nitric  acids,  the  degree  of  intensity 
being  in  the  order  as  enumerated,  sulphuric  acid  giving  the  stronger 
color.    Sodium  hydrate  dissolves  but  does  not  saponify  the  resin. 
The  crystals  gave  no  precipitates  with  alkaloidal  reagents,  and  did 
not  produce  any  ammonia  on  heating  with  potassium  hydrate.  After 
boiling  with  dilute  acid,  they  reduced  alkaline  copper  solutions.  The 
following  are  the  reactions  obtained  for  this  principle  :  Sulphuric  acid 
dissolved  it  in  the  cold  without  color,  but  on  warming,  the  color  be- 
came carmine-red.  It  gave  no  reaction  with  hydrochloric  acid  or 
nitric  acid.  Sulphuric  acid  and  bichromate  of  potassium  (Otto's  test) 
gave  in  the  cold  a  brownish  yellow  color,  which  on  heating  was 
changed  to  green.  Sugar  and  sulphuric  acid  (Schneider's  test)  gave 
no  color  in  the  cold,  but  on  warming  the  color  is  first  light  brown  and 
I'spidly  darkens  by  the  caramelizing  of  the  sugar,  while  all  through 
the  reaction  red  spots  are  visible.  Froehde's  test  (molybdate  of  am- 
monium and  sulphuric  acid)  gave  first  a  green  color,  and  on  heating 
slightly  the  color  was  rapidly  changed  to  a  dark  blue.  These  reactions 
show  the  principle  to  be  different  from  Eykman's  sikimin,  which  does 
not  reduce  Fehling's  test,  even  after  boiling  with  dilute  acid.  From, 
the  reactions  noted  above,  the  crystals  were  regarded  as  those  of  a 
glucoside  to  which  the  bitter  taste  of  the  leaves  is  due.  The  crystals 
amounted  to  about  0*75  per  cent. 
The  residues  from  benzol  and  chloroform  shakings  were  of  a  dark 
green  color  and  soluble  in  alcohol.  The  alcoholic  solution  was  clouded 
by  the  addition  of  water,  and  further  by  a  few  drops  of  hydrochloric 
acid.  The  same  solution  gave  with  sulphuric  acid  a  green  liquid  and 
a  brown  precipitate.  The  same  reaction  was  obtained  with  hydro- 
chloric and  nitric  acids ;  but,  if  heat  be  applied  to  the  test  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  it  becomes  of  a  purplish  color  and  ultimately  chars;  if  the 
liquid  with  nitric  acid  is  treated  in  the  same  manner,  the  precipitate 
becomes  yellow  and  the  green  color  is  discharged  ;  if  to  tlie  hydro- 
chloric acid  test  a  few  drops  of  nitric  acid  be  added,  the  color  is 
changed  to  red  and  ultimately  to  red-browm.  If  a  quantity  of  the 
dry  extract  (resin)  be  heated  in  a  glass  tube  open  at  both  ends,  it  gives 
a  reddish  brown  sublimate,  inflammable  vapors  and  a  residue  of  char- 
coal. The  shakings  of  the  acidified  alkaline  solution  gave  nothing 
but  resin. 
4.  Aqueous  Extraction. — The  powder  from  the  above  maceration 
