BARK  OF  THE  ROOT  OF  EUONYMUS  ATROPURPUREUS.  387 
composed  as  before.  The  liquid  obtained  possessed  a  strong 
acid  reaction,  and  deposited  on  boiling  oblique  prismatic  crys- 
tals, which,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  a  salt  of  lime.  This 
salt  of  lime  after  solution  in  water  was  again  treated  with  ace. 
tate  of  lead  and  again  decomposed.  A  portion  of  the  acid  so- 
lution now  free  from  lime,  on  being  mixed  with  ammonia  and 
chloride  of  calcium,  and  boiling,  produced  no  change;  on  mixing, 
while  yet  warm,  with  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  after  a  short  time, 
crystals  were  formed.  These  when  examined  by  the  microscope 
were  shown  to  be  long,  thin,  needle  shaped,  and  curved,  unalter- 
able in  air,  and  very  soluble  in  water.  The  acid  solution,  on 
being  evaporated  and  allowed  to  stand  in  a  warm  place,  crys- 
tallized in  beautiful  prismatic  crystals.  It  is  to  be  regretted, 
that  owing  to  the  limited  quantity  of  material  at  command,  the 
chemical  properties  of  this  new  organic  acid  could  not  have 
been  more  thoroughly  investigated.  This  acid  may  be  called 
Euonic  Acid. 
The  solution  remaining  after  the  action  of  the  subacetate  of 
lead  was  freed  from  lead  by  hydrosulphuric  acid,  and  passed 
through  prepared  animal  charcoal,  and  then  placed  in  a  warm 
place  for  spontaneous  evaporation,  when  in  due  time  a  crystal- 
line deposit  was  obtained.  This  deposit  was  dissolved  in  water, 
and  the  solution  treated  with  twice  its  volume  of  95  per  cent, 
alcohol,  and  the  precipitate  which  fell  collected  on  a  filter  and 
washed  with  alcohol.  The  precipitate  was  acted  upon  by  water  , 
which  took  up  a  portion  of  it,  consisting  of  chloride  of  potassium 
and  sulphate  of  potassa,  while  the  insoluble  part  was  found  to 
consist  of  phosphate  of  lime. 
The  alcoholic  solution,  after  separating  the  above  inorganic 
salts  was  evaporated  carefully,  adding  some  water,  and  set  aside 
for  two  or  three  days,  when  crystallization  was  effected.  The 
crystals  were  drained  on  bibulous  paper  and  dried.  They  were 
again  dissolved  in  water  and  recrystallized.  The  crystals  ob- 
tained were  colorless  rhombohedral  prisms,  soluble  in  about 
60  parts  of  water,  and  freely  soluble  in  boiling  water,  and  neu- 
tral to  test  papers.  On  mixing  its  solution  with  one  of  ammo- 
niacal  acetate  of  copper,  a  beautiful  azure  blue  precipitate  is 
obtained.  Solution  of  ammoniacal  acetate  of  lead  gives  a  vo- 
luminous white  precipitate.    On  heating  the  crystals  on  platina 
