482  Seeds  of  Ricinus  Communis.         { A Vov" -jgfc"* 
mother-liquor,  when  shaken  with  sulphuric  acid  and  alcohol,  immediately 
developed,  in  a  marked  degree,  the  odor  of  butyric  ether.  A  portion 
of  this  ethereal  liquid  neutralized  with  ammonia,  was  unaffected  by  the 
addition  of  ferric  chloride,  thus  indicating  the  absence  of  an  acetate. 
An  experiment  was  made  similar  to  the  one  of  Prof.  Tuson,  in 
which  he  found  a  crystallizable  substance  supposed  to  be  an  alkaloid. 
A  portion  of  the  marc  was  boiled  with  successive  portions  of  water, 
the  several  liquids  strained  through  muslin,  and  the  resulting  decoction 
evaporated  to  the  consistence  of  a  soft  extract,  which  was  exhausted 
with  boiling  alcohol.  Upon  standing,  a  substance  of  a  resinous  appear- 
ance, but  soluble  in  water,  separated  from  the  filtrate,  and  was  removed 
by  a  second  filtration.  The  filtrate  was  concentrated,  and,  as  no  crys- 
tals separated,  magnesia  was  added,  the  mixture  evaporated  to  dryness, 
again  exhausted  with  boiling  alcohol,  and  filtered,  when,  upon  concen- 
tration and  a  few  days'  standing,  colorless  crystals,  having  the  form  of 
rectangular  prisms  and  tables,  separated,  answering  to  the  appearance 
of  those  obtained  bv  Prof.  Tuson.  These  crystals  were  slowly  solu- 
ble in  hot  water.  In  an  acidulated  solution  of  the  crystals,  phospho- 
molybdic  acid,  tannic  acid  and  iodohydrargyrate  of  potassium  produced 
neither  a  precipitate  nor  a  coloration  ;  while  in  the  mother-liquor  pre- 
cipitates were  at  once  formed  by  the  two  first-named  reagents,  but  by 
the  last  one  only  after  some  hours,  and  in  amount  about  one-eighth  that 
formed  by  phosphomolybdic  acid.  The  mother-liquor,  when  heated 
with  solid  hydrate  of  potassium,  developed  the  odor  of  ammonia. 
From  these  the  writer  concludes  that  the  crystalline  substance  in  ques- 
tion is  not  an  alkaloid. 
A  substance  resembling  emulsin  was  obtained  by  forming  an  emul- 
sion of  the  marc  with  water,  adding  an  equal  bulk  of  ether,  and  agitat- 
ing repeatedly  during  twenty-four  hours,  when,  upon  standing,  the 
liquid  separated  into  two  layers  ;  the  supernatant  liquid  being  removed, 
alcohol  was  added  to  the  other,  which  precipitated  the  emulsin.  This 
emulsin,  with  amygdalin,  in  the  presence  of  water,  developed  the  odor 
of  hydrocyanic  acid  after  several  days'  standing.  The  result  of  Mr. 
H.  Bower  ("  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1854,  p.  208)  is  confirmed  by  this 
experiment. 
The  residue  obtained  from  the  alcoholic  percolate  having  deposited 
a  semi-solid  portion,  largely  composed  of  coloring  matter,  was  agitated 
with  ether,  which  took  up  the  oil.    The  part  left  undissolved  by  the 
