BARK  OP  THE  ROOT  OF  EUONYMUS  ATROPURPUREUS.  389 
copper  gave  a  bluish,  and  acetate  of  lead  and  nitrate  of  silver 
yellowish  white  precipitates.  The  resin  is  fusible  and  com- 
bustible. That  portion  of  the  deposit  not  acted  on  by  ether 
proved  to  be  likewise  a  resin  ;  it  was  pulverizable,  of  a  brown 
color  and  bitterish  taste,  and  its  solution  was  precipitated  by 
acetate  of  lead. 
The  liquid,  after  the  separation  of  the  several  resins,  was 
mixed  with  water  in  all  proportions  without  causing  a  precipi- 
tate. It  gave  precipitates  with  phospho-molybdic  acid,  and  sub- 
acetate  of  lead,  and  still  possessed  the  bitter  taste  of  the  bark. 
It  was  evaporated  to  expel  the  alcohol,  and  the  aqueous  solution 
passed  through  prepared  animal  charcoal,  which  removed  the 
bitter  principle.  The  decolorized  solution  was  evaporated  to  a 
syrupy  consistence,  when,  after  a  few  days'  repose,  crystals  of 
asparagin  were  deposited.  The  liquid  also  gave  indications  of 
grape  sugar. 
A  portion  of  the  bark,  after  exhaustion  with  cold  water,  was 
treated  with  a  cold  and  weak  solution  of  carbonate  of  soda,  and 
the  filtrate  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  without  causing 
any  precipitate  ;  another  portion  of  the  bark  was  treated  with  the 
solution  at  a  temperature  170°  Fahr.;  on  acidulating  a  portion  of 
the  filtrate,  a  gelatinous  precipitate  was  obtained;  another  por- 
tion treated  with  chloride  of  calcium  gave  an  insoluble  precipi- 
tate. From  this  it  appears  that  pectin,  not  pectic  acid  is 
present. 
One  hundred  grains  of  the  dried  bark  gave  by  incineration 
14-75  grains  of  ashes,  1-19  of  which  were  soluble  in  water. 
5-94  grains  were  soluble  in  hydrochloric  acid,  and  gave  on  anal- 
ysis, lime,  magnesia,  oxide  of  iron,  phosphate  of  iron,  and  phos- 
phate of  alumina.  The  insoluble  silicious  residuum  was  not  ex- 
amined. 
A  tincture  of  the  bark  was  prepared  with  dilute  alcohol  and 
agitated  with  chloroform.  The  chloroformic  solution  or  layer  was 
carefully  drawn  off,  and  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously, 
which  left  a  dark,  yellowr  substance,  having  the  taste  of  the  bark 
in  an  eminent  degree,  reddening  litmus  paper,  very  soluble  in 
alcohol  and  chloroform,  but  partially  soluble  in  ether.  On  sub- 
jecting it  to  the  action  of  ether,  this  dissolved  the  substance  to 
