302 
Cortex  Amy dali  Persicce. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Phabm. 
\     July  1, 1873. 
while  the  insoluble  portion  broke  somewhat  like  wax,  neither  of  them 
having  odor  or  taste. 
III.  Four  troy-ounces  of  the  bark  were  boiled  with  water,  and 
yielded  a  decoction  of  a  brownish  color  and  an  aromatic,  somewhat 
astringent  taste.  A  portion  being  tested  by  iron  and  gelatin  gave 
evidence  of  tannin.  From  another  portion  the  tannin  was  removed 
by  acetate  of  lead  ;  the  filtrate,  on  the  addition  of  subacetate  of 
lead,  gave  no  precipitate ;  this  solution  was  treated  with  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  to  precipitate  the  lead,  and  after  concentration  by  evapo- 
ration the  solution  indicated  the  presence  of  sugar  by  Trommer's 
test.    Starch  was  also  found  to  be  present  by  solution  of  iodine. 
IV.  Sixty  troy-ounces  of  the  bark  were  ground  and  after  macera- 
tion for  twenty-four  hours  with  water,  distilled,  yielding  an  oily  layer 
of  a  strong  aromatic  odor  floating  upon  the  aqueous  distillate,  which 
did  not  react  upon  red  or  blue  litmus  paper. 
The  oil  obtained  by  distillation  and  the  oil  obtained  from  the  ether- 
ial  extract  were  very  similar,  that  obtained  by  distillation  having  a 
stronger  odor;  both  oils  when  tested  were  found  to  belong  to  the  cin- 
namyl  series  ;  the  addition  of  bichromate  of  potassium  and  sulphuric 
acid,  or  of  permanganate  of  potassium  producing  the  odor  of  bitter 
almonds. 
V.  Twenty  grams  of  the  air-dry  bark  were  incinerated  ;  the  weight 
of  the  ashes  obtained  was  0*59  gram,  the  percentage  being  2*95;  of 
this  amount  distilled  water  dissolved  *119  gram.  The  ashes  contained 
oxide  of  iron,  lime,  potassa,  soda,  hydrochloric  and  carbonic  acids, 
and  were  free  from  sulphuric  and  phosphoric  acids.  The  organic 
constituents  were  found  to  be  tannin,  resin,  wax,  starch,  sugar,  chlo- 
rophyll, albumen  and  volatile  oil  containing  cinnamyl- compound. 
CORTEX  AMYGDALI  PERSlCvE. 
By  J.  Howard  McCrea. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  author  collected  the  peach  tree  bark  in  the  latter  part  of  May, 
and,  drying  it  in  the  air,  found  it  to  lose  33J  per  cent.    By  analysis 
he  proved  it  to  contain  tannin,  albumen,  starch,  gum,  lignin  (about 
50  per  cent.),  hydrocyanic  acid  (in  the  cold  infusion),  resin  soluble  in 
alcohol  and  insoluble  in  ether,  fat,  extractive  and  a  potassium  salt. 
The  bitter  principle  was  not  isolated :  it  appears  to  be  different  from 
