302 
CHEMICAL REMARKS ON C ASC ARILLA. 
it fuses, forming a yellow syrupy liquid with the aspect of 
caramel. It fuses at a lower temperature than salicine. 
Exposed to a great heat, it decomposes, evolving fumes 
which redden litmus-paper. It leaves no ash. Heated 
with potash in a tube, its vapours do not restore the colour 
of reddened litmus. It is very slightly soluble in water, 
but renders it strongly bitter. The solution is neutral to 
litmus-paper ; it is not precipitated by either neutral or 
basic acetate r of lead, tannin or "alkalies. It is soluble in 
alcohol and aether. Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves 
and instantly reddens it; the tint is very deep and tinged 
with purple. A certain quantity of water causes a precipi- 
tate in the solution. The liquid then appears green ; as 
the precipitate subsides, it becomes paler. Ammonia does 
not dissolve the precipitate, but renders it of an ochreous- 
yellow colour. Nitric acid dissolves the principle, and the 
yellow solution thus formed is precipitated by ammonia. 
Muriatic acid dissolves it, acquiring a tinge of violet, which 
is converted into blue on the addition of a very small quan- 
tity of water. As cascarilline does not contain nitrogen, 
and combines with neither bases nor acids, it must be 
ranged among the neutral non-nitrogenous substances, with 
salicine, columbine, &c. Its intense bitterness, and the 
general analogy between cascarilla and cinchona, render it 
probable that it may be advantageously used in medicine. 
Chem. Gaz from Journ. de Pharm. et de Chim. 
