42 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
ART. VII. — ON QUASSIT. By Mr. Wiggers. 
This name has been given by Wiggers to the bitter princi- 
ple of Quassia amara and excelsa. 
To prepare it, boil quassia in shavings in a sufficient quantity 
of water, filter the decoction, evaporate it to three-fourths, then 
mix with it a certain quantity of lime water, with which it 
should be allowed to remain in contact during a day. The lime 
separates the pectin and other substances. The solution 
is next filtered, and evaporated to dryness, and the residue 
treated with eighty or ninety per cent, of alcohol. By 
this means the quassit is dissolved, as well as a little chlo- 
ride of sodium, nitrate of potassa, and an organic substance 
of a brown color. By distillation a crystalline residue is 
obtained, of a pale yellow color. This residuum must be 
treated with a mixture of absolute alcohol and ether, until the 
quassit appears pure. The mixt ethereal solution is finally 
poured upon a little water, and allowed to evaporate spon- 
taneously. If the substances which ether has separated, are 
reunited, and they are then treated anew with the mixture 
of absolute alcohol and ether, more quassit will be obtained. 
Quassit presents itself under the form of very small white 
prisms; it is very little soluble in water, 100 parts dissolve 
only 0.45 parts of it. The solution of it in water is precipi- 
tated by tannic acid, but not by iodine, chlorine, &c. It is 
very soluble in ether; the best menstruum is alcohol, which 
acts with power, according to its strength and temperature. 
All its solutions are colorless. It is a neutral body, for sul- 
phuric and nitric acids dissolve it, but without combining 
with it. The last is driven off by heat, leaving the quassit 
untouched. It is composed of 
Carbon, 
Hydrogen, 
Oxygen, 
66.912 
6.827 
26.261 
British Jinn, of Med., and Journ. de Ch. Med. 
