434 
Fabiana  Imbricata. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharrn. 
X-      Sept.,  1891. 
crystals,  which  I  concluded  was  the  neutral  principle.  The  mass 
was  entirely  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  from  which  the  neutral 
principle  crystallized  out  in  small  shining  crystals  of  a  pure  white 
color.  They  dissolved  readily  in  absolute  alcohol,  ether  and  chloro- 
form, but  were  insoluble  in  water.  Besides  this  principle,  the  residue 
consisted  of  a  light  colored  resin  soluble  in  alkalies,  producing  an 
intense  yellow  solution,  and  a  minute  quantity  of  chlorophyll.  The 
hot  water  extracted  1*09  per  cent.  The  aqueous  solution  was  agi- 
tated with  chloroform  and  setting  aside  it  deposited  upon  evapora- 
tion a  considerable  quantity  of  the  fluorescent  principle  in  the  form 
of  minute  needles,  which  I  purified  by  dissolving  in  water  and 
recrystallizing  and  finally  obtained  them  quite  pure  and  of  a  light 
nearly  white  color.  They  have  a  bitter  taste  and  give  an  intense 
blue  fluorescence  with  ammonia,  which  is  changed  by  acids  to  a 
much  paler  but  distinct  rose  fluorescence. 
With  iodine  in  a  potassium  iodide  solution  it  gives  a  reddish  brown 
precipitate  ;  with  bromine  water  it  gives  a  blue  precipitate  which  is 
soluble  in  chloroform,  forming  a  pink  solution.  The  bromine  water 
must  be  added  in  a  minute  quantity  so  as  not  to  be  in  excess,  other- 
wise it  would  destroy  the  peculiar  color  of  the  chloroform  layer  and 
change  the  blue  precipitate  to  a  dirty  brown.  Strong  hydrochloric 
acid,  added  to  the  crystals  and  a  minute  portion  of  potassium  chlor- 
ate added,  gives  a  bright  red  color,  which  when  heated  on  a  water- 
bath  gives  a  reddish  violet.  It  gives  no  precipitate  with  ordinary 
alkaloidal  reagents,  such  as  Mayer's  reagent,  picric  acid,  ammonium 
molybdate,  etc.  It  gives  no  precipitate  with  the  salts  of  the  heavy 
metals,  such  as  copper  sulphate,  silver  nitrate,  mercuric  chloride, 
lead  acetate,  ferric  chloride  and  gold  chloride.  It  melts  at  1900  C, 
forming  a  dark  yellow  liquid,  and  at  a  few  degrees  higher  it  decom- 
poses, forming  very  irritating  fumes.  That  it  is  a  glucoside  is  proved 
by  its  readily  reducing  alkaline  solution  of  copper.  The  impure 
aqueous  solution  of  the  ether  residue  gives  precipitates  with  alka^ 
loidal  reagents,  and  thinking  that  perhaps  there  was  an  alkaloid 
mixed  with  the  fluorescent  principle,  I  made  the  solution  acid  and 
shook  out  with  chloroform  until  the  fluorescent  principle  was  entirely 
extracted,  then  the  solution  was  made  alkaline  and  treated  again 
with  chloroform,  which  was  siphoned  off  and  allowed  to  evaporate ; 
a  soft  neutral  resin  was  left,  of  an  intense  bitter  and  tingling  taste  ; 
it  is  insoluble  in  water,  not  easily  soluble  in  alkalies,  but  was  soluble 
