Am.  Jouh .  Pn\RM.  ) 
July  1, 1873.  \ 
Benzoin  Odoriferum,  Nees. 
301 
one  troy-ounce  of  the  drug.  It  is  said  to  be  used  as  an  agreeable 
drink  in  low  fevers  and  in  intermittents,  and  also  as  a  vermifuge. 
According  to  Dr.  Drake,  the  oil  of  the  berries  is  used  as  a  stimu- 
lant. The  infusion  has  an  aromatic  and  astringent  taste,  and  the 
odor  of  the  bark.  The  tincture  is  of  a  brownish  color  and  has  an 
aromatic  and  astringent  taste  and  a  faint  odor  of  the  bark. 
I.  Four  troy- ounces  of  the  bark,  exhausted  with  strong  alcohol, 
gave  a  tincture  of  a  bright  green  color,  leaving  on  evaporation  an 
extract  which  had  a  dark  green  color.  This  extract  was  .treated 
with  different  solvents;  first  with  sulphuric  ether,  which  took  up 
the  coloring  matter,  leaving  an  extract  of  a  dark  brown  color.  This 
extract  was  found  to  be  insoluble  in  cold  benzin  and  sparingly  solu- 
ble in  hot  benzin,  precipitating  again  on  cooling  ;  it  is  likewise  in- 
soluble in  chloroform  and  bisulphide  carbon.  The  remaining  extract 
treated  with  water  imparted  to  it  a  brownish  color,  and  upon  evapo- 
ration the  solution  left  but  a  small  residue.  The  portion  insoluble  in 
water  was  then  dissolved  in  alcohol,  which  gave  a  solution  of  a  brown- 
ish color.  Acetate  of  lead  produced  a  flocculent  precipitate,  and 
the  filtrate  was  not  affected  by  subacetate  of  lead.  The  lead  was 
separated  by  treating  the  solution  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and 
the  clear  filtrate  upon  being  evaporated  left  a  very  small  residue. 
II.  Four  troy-ounces  of  the  bark  were  exhausted  with  ether  by 
maceration  and  percolation  and  yielded  a  tincture  of  a  green  color. 
This  was  evaporated  to  a  soft  extract,  which  was  of  a  dark  green 
or  almost  black  color  and  had  a  very  strong  odor  of  the  drug;  upon 
standing,  this  extract  separated  into  two  layers,  one  being  of  a  green- 
ish color  and  the  other  clear  ;  the  latter  imparted  to  paper  a  greasy 
stain,  which,  upon  being  heated,  disappeared.  A  portion  of  the  ex- 
tract was  dissolved  in  ether  and  thrown  upon  water;  by  gradually 
heating  the  water  to  evaporate  the  ether,  there  were  obtained  small 
globules  which  were  found  to  be  of  a  resinous  character,  and  an  oily 
layer  which,  when  separated,  was  found  to  have  a  strong  odor  of  the 
drug  and  an  aromatic  taste. 
The  resinous  matter  was  treated  with  alcohol,  which  dissolved  the 
greater  portion  of  it.  The  insoluble  portion  having  been  separated 
by  filtration  and  the  alcoholic  solution  evaporated,  a  resin  was  ob- 
tained which  was  soluble  in  ether  and  partly  soluble  in  chloroform 
and  benzin.  It  was  somewhat  lighter  in  color  than  the  portion  in- 
soluble in  alcohol,  and  when  dried  had  a  brittle  and  resinous  fracture, 
