Amjunuea893arm'}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  279 
phous  resin  (called  bryogeniri),  soluble  in  alcohol,  insoluble  in 
ether. 
Inulin,  since  its  discovery  by  V.  Rose,  in  1 804,  has  always  been 
prepared  by  precipitating  it  either  in  the  cold  or  by  means  of 
alcohol,  from  its  more  or  less  clear  aqueous  solution.  It  is  then 
subjected  to  reprecipitation  until  the  product  obtained  is  white. 
But  this  product,  according  to  C.  Tanret  (Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de 
Chim.y  April,  1893,  p.  354)  is  far  from  being  pure;  it  has  a  rotatory 
power  which  varies  from  aD  =  —  31 0  to  «D  =*=  —  350.  The  author 
has  succeeded  in  separating  two  closely  resembling,  but  neverthe- 
less distinct  principles,  which  he  named  respectively  pseudo-inulin 
and  inulenin. 
The  different  solubilities  of  these  bodies  in  presence  of  baryta 
water  in  excess,  affords  a  means  of  separating  them  from  inulin  and 
also  from  one  another. 
For  preparing  inulin  from  Jerusalem  artichoke,  the  tubers  are 
scraped,  the  pulp  expressed,  and  the  juice  cleared  by  means  of 
solution  of  subacetate  of  lead  ;  excess  of  lead  is  eliminated  by  add- 
ing sulphuric  acid,  and  inulin  is  precipitated  by  addition  of  concen- 
trated baryta  water.  A  second  precipitate  can  be  obtained  by  add- 
ing alcohol  of  80  per  cent.;  this  is  principally  pseudo-inulin  and 
inulenin.  The  precipitates  are  washed  in  cold  baryta  water,  dis- 
solved in  hot  water  and  reprecipitated.  By  repeating  this  treatment 
until  the  mother-liquor  is  no  longer  darkened  by  it,  inulate  of 
baryta  is  obtained.  This  is  dissolved  in  hot  water,  and  decomposed 
by  means  of  C02,  the  solution  is  boiled,  filtered,  and  deposits,  upon 
addition  of  J{  of  its  volume  of  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  pure  inulin.  It 
is  thrown  on  a  filter,  washed  with  60  per  cent,  alcohol  and  dried  over 
sulphuric  acid.  Pseudo-inulin  is  deposited  from  its  aqueous  solu- 
tions in  irregular  granules  and  from  its  alcoholic  solutions  in  glo- 
bules ;  it  is  very  soluble  in  water  and  weak  alcohol,  while  hot,  but 
only  slightly  soluble  in  cold  water,  and  insoluble  in  cold  alcohol.  It 
has  a  rotatory  power  of  «D  =  —  32-2°,  which  under  the  influence 
of  acids,  is  increased  to  —  85-6°.  Analysis  indicates  the  formula 
16  (C6H10O5)H2O. 
To  inulenin  the  author  assigns  the  formula  io(C6H10Ofl)  2  H20. 
It  may  be  procured  in  fine  microscopic  needles  ;  dried  at  ioo°  C, 
it  is  soluble  in  several  parts  of  cold  water,  in  35  parts  of  cold  30  per 
cent,  alcohol,  and  in  245  parts  of  50  per  cent,  alcohol. 
