34 
GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
Acids  of  Benzoin  Hermann  Aschoff  obtained  from  Benzoin 
of  Sumatra  pure  cinnamic  acid,  without  finding  benzoic  acid  ; 
the  white  tears  were  entirely  soluble  in  ether  and  contained 
11-2  per  cent,  cinnamic  acid.  A  second  quality  of  Sumatra 
benzoin  and  several  kinds  from  Siam  did  not  contain  a  trace  of 
cinnamic  acid.  He  recommends  the  following  ways  for 
detecting  cinnamic  acid  in  the  balsam  ;  it  is  either  boiled  with 
milk  of  lime,  the  filtrate  decomposed  by  muriatic  acid  and  treated 
with  bichromate  of  potassa  and  sulphuric  acid,  or  with  perman- 
ganate of  potassa  ;  or  the  alcoholic  tincture  is  poured  into  water, 
the  alcohol  evaporated  and  the  filtrate  treated  in  the  same  way. 
The  presence  of  cinnamic  acid  is  manifested  by  the  odor  of  oil 
of  bitter  almonds  Benzoin  containing  cinnamic  acid  is  unfit 
for  preparing  benzoic  acid  for  medicinal  purposes. — (Archiv  d. 
Ph.  cvii.  153-157.)  Kolbe  and  Lautemann  obtained  from 
Sumatra  benzoin  a  mixture  of  2  equiv.  benzoic  with  1  equiv. 
cinnamic  acid,  fusing  at  94°  C. — (Annal.  der  Chem.  und  Ph. 
cxix.  136. 
An  analysis  of  Anachuita  wood  is  published  in  Archiv  d. 
Pharm.  cvii.  176-179.  By  repeated  fractional  cohobation  and 
agitation  with  ether,  an  oily  liquid  was  obtained,  possessing  the 
odor  of  the  wood  ;  it  was  an  aldehyde.  The  decoction  was  pre- 
cipitated by  acetate  and  subacetate  of  lead,  which  precipitated  a 
tannin  resembling  that  of  catechu,  gallic  acid  and  a  little  arabin. 
The  sulphide  of  lead  obtained  on  decomposing  these  precipitates, 
contained  some  products  of  oxidation  and  a  little  yellowish 
resin.  The  filtrate  after  removing  the  lead,  evaporating  and 
treating  with  alcohol,  separated  uncrystallizable  sugar  and  a 
gummy  organic  lime  salt ;  more  alcohol  removed  a  pectinate. 
The  filtrate  evaporated  and  treated  with  ether,  separated  grape 
sugar,  and  the  filtrate  left  on  evaporation  groups  of  sublimable 
warty  crystals,  and  a  thick  liquid  which,  on  evaporating  spon- 
taneously over  sulphuric  acid,  left  white  needles,  soluble  in 
alcohol,  somewhat  less  in  ether  and  water,  more  freely  in 
alkalies  ;  they  are  the  bitter  principle,  but  are  destitute  of 
alkaline  properties. 
The  thus  exhausted  wood  yielded  nothing  of  interest  besides 
an  acid  and  neutral  resin,  to  acidulated  and  alkaline  water, 
