388     BARK  OF  THE  ROOT  OF  EITONYMUS  ATROPURPURETTS. 
foil,  they  first  fused,  giving  off  vapors  of  water,  and  puffed  up 
into  a  spongy  coal,  combustion  being  effected  without  residue. 
When  treated  with  sulphate  of  potassa  in  the  cold,  or  boiling 
with  hydrated  oxide  of  lead,  combination  was  readily  effected 
with  the  evolution  of  ammonia.  On  decomposing  the  compound 
of  lead,  the  liberated  acid,  which  possessed  but  little  taste,  was 
not  precipitated  by  the  salts  of  lead  and  silver,  and  on  evapora- 
tion it  was  obtained  as  a  colorless  powder,  composed  of  minute 
prismatic  crystals,  which  yield  ammonia  on  being  decomposed 
by  heat.    There  is  no  doubt  of  its  identity  with  Asparagin. 
The  remnant  of  the  solution  was  evaporated  and  heated  to 
incineration.    The  ashes  gave  on  analysis  Lime  and  Magnesia, 
The  alcoholic  tincture  when  allowed  to  evaporate  sponta- 
neously, yields  an  oily  substance,  from  which,  when  treated 
with  sulphuric  ether,  the  oil  is  dissolved  and  a  soft  resin  left. 
The  oil  on  being  purified  by  washing  with  alcohol,  was 
left  of  a  yellowish  color  and  bland  oily  taste,  possessing 
the  properties  of  a  fixed  oil.  The  tincture  thus  freed  from 
the  fixed  oil  and  neutral  soft  resin,  was  treated  with  an 
alcoholic  solution  of  acetate  of  lead  ;  the  washed  precipitate 
suspended  in  alcohol,  decomposed^  and  the  filtrate  passed  through 
prepared  animal  charcoal.  The  colorless  solution  reddened  lit- 
mus paper  strongly,  and  gave,  with  acetate  of  lead,  nitrate  of 
silver,  and  barytic  water,  white  precipitates.  Ammoniacal  sul- 
phate of  copper  gave  a  bluish  white  precipitate.  A  concentrated 
solution  deposited  on  the  sides  of  the  vessel  confused  masses  of 
prismatic  crystals.  The  resin  is  very  fusible ,  burning  with 
bright  flames,  is  tasteless  and  inodorous,  soluble  in  alcohol, 
ether  and  chloroform  ;  a  drop  of  the  solution  placed  under  the 
microscope,  and  allowed  to  evaporate,  exhibited  a  group  of  pris- 
matic crystals,  radiating  from  its  central  point.  It  combines 
readily  with  alkalies  forming  salts,  very  soluble  in  water.  The 
solution,  after  the  separation  of  the  last  resin,  was  set  aside 
about  two  weeks,  when  a  deposit  formed  on  the  sides  of  the 
vessel.  This  was  first  malaxated  with  water,  then  dissolved  in 
ether,  and  the  ethereal  solution  evaporated.  A  resin  was  left 
of  a  golden  yellow  color,  which  exhibited  no  tendency  to  crys- 
tallize, and  having  an  acid  reaction.  Its  solution  in  alcohol 
gave  with  baryta  an  orange-colored  precipitate,  sulphate  of 
