136 CONSTITUENTS OF THE FRUIT OF ANACARDIUM. 
easily dissolved by ether and by alcohol, and the solutions 
strongly redden blue litmus-paper. No volatile product 
was obtained on distilling it with water. When treated 
with dilute acids, it'^parts with a small quantity of ammonia. 
On spontaneous evaporation of the ethereal or alcoholic 
solution at a low temperature, the residue solidifies to a 
tissue of ramified crystals of a white colour, from which a 
reddish oily liquid separates. 
It produces upon the tongue at first an astringent taste, 
and then a burning and reddening. To ascertain its effects 
upon the skin, 1 made the following experiment : — A spot 
of about one square inch upon the lower part of the breast 
was spread over with the balsam, and a piece of blotting- 
paper, which had been moistened with it, placed over it. 
In the course of a quarter of an hour a slight burning was 
perceptible, which rapidly increased, and appeared to have 
attained its greatest energy in about half an hour. The 
skin beneath the paper had become whitish, surrounded by 
a red circle. As the inflammation ceased and no further 
inconvenience was felt, the paper was allowed to remain 
for about three hours. The skin was covered with small 
vesicles, which increased considerably in size during the 
night, without however attaining to the size of those usually 
produced by cantharides plaster. The place was dressed 
with linen smeared with tallow ; it not only healed very 
slowly, but the after-effects appeared to continue for a very 
long time ; and after an abundant secretion of pus, the 
wound was from ten to fourteen days in healing. 
A second experiment, made with balsam which had been 
treated with dilute muriatic acid, afforded the same result. 
The muriatic extract left on evaporation crystals, which 
on examination proved to be chloride of ammonium. 
Since the balsam which had been treated with muriatic 
acid contained no more nitrogen, it is evident that its eflTecls 
cannot be ascribed to any nitrogenous organic compound ; 
they are owing to a substance which is oily even at a low 
