Amjuiy,ri8??arm"}  Suberin  and  Cork  Cells.  367 
this  means  70 — 80  per  cent,  of  the  original  acid  may  be  recovered 
in  the  form  of  pure  salicylic  acid  from  the  first  fraction  of  crystals 
deposited  from  the  alcoholic  solution. 
At  the  request  of  the  authors,  Professor  Charteris  ascertained 
whether  the  three  cresotic  acids  described  above  were  poisonous. 
When  administered  in  alcoholic  solution  to  animals  by  injection, 
the  ortho-acid  was  observed  to  be  markedly  toxic,  the  para-acid  less 
so,  whilst  the  meta-acid  proved  to  be  innocuous.  (See  this  Journal, 
January,  p.  38.) 
SUBERIN  AND  CORK  CELLS.1 
By  F.  A.  Fluckiger. 
Kiigler  (1884)  showed  that  suberin  contained  an  appreciable 
amount  of  fat  and  extracted  stearic  acid ;  he  also  isolated  the  crys- 
talline phellonic  acid,  which,  however,  does  not  belong  to  the  fatty 
series.  Gilson  (1890)  maintains  that  suberin  is  that  part  of  cork 
texture  which  is  insoluble  in  neutral  liquids,  and  is  not  taken  up 
either  by  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  or  by  ammonio-copper  oxide 
solution,  but  is  dissolved  by  alcoholic  potash,  and  with  nitric  acid 
yields  suberic  and  other  fatty  acids  soluble  in  ether  and  alcohol. 
He  finds  the  coloring  matter  of  cork  to  be  very  soluble  in  sodium 
carbonate  solution,  which  scarcely  attacks  suberin  even  on  prolonged 
boiling.  After  treating  finely  divided  cork  with  sodium  carbonate, 
the  suberin  is  extracted  by  a  3  per  cent,  alcoholic  potash  solution. 
The  solution  filtered  hot  gives  a  precipitate  on  cooling,  which,  after 
washing  with  water  and  recrystallization  from  alcohol,  consists 
mainly  of  potassium  phellonate.  The  alcoholic  filtrate  freed  from 
alcohol,  diluted  with  water,  and  treated  with  hydrochloric  acid, 
gives  a  semi-fluid  deposit ;  the  decanted  liquid  yields  glycerol. 
Gilson  dissolves  the  deposit  in  ether,  washes  out  the  hydrochloric 
acid  with  water,  expels  the  ether,  dissolves  in  alcohol,  and  boils 
with  potassium  carbonate,  when  the  a'ddition  of  an  alcoholic  solution 
of  magnesium  chloride  precipitates  phloionic  acid  ;  the  solution  on 
further  treatment  yields  suberinic  acid.  Kiigler- gives  C22H4203  as 
the  formula  for  phellonic  acid,  whilst  Gilson  prefers  C22H4303.  The 
latter  gives  the  melting  point  as  1020.  When  heated  at  105 0  with 
hydrochloric  acid,  the  anhydride  C44H8405  is  obtained.  Phloionic 
acid,  C22H4408,  is  insoluble  in  cold  water,  but  dissolves  in  hot  water, 
1  Arch.  Pharm.,  228,690 — 700;  reprinted  from  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  1891,  465. 
