22 
ON  CYCLAMEN  EUROPIUM. 
alcoholic  solution  deposits  Cyclamin  on  cooling  always  in  the 
form  of  small,  amorphous,  aggregated  masses.  When  desiccated 
in  vacuo  over  sulphuric  acid,  in  the  absence  of  light,  Cyclamin 
possessed  the  following  properties :  It  is  amorphous,  white, 
inodorous,  opake,  pulverulent,  very  light,  and  neutral  in  its  re- 
actions. In  a  damp  atmosphere  it  increases  in  volume  by  absorb- 
ing water.  When  brought  in  contact  with  cold  water  it  assumes 
a  transparent  appearance,  like  pasty  jelly.  By  spontaneous 
evaporation  of  a  cold  prepared  alcoholic  solution,  or  by  the 
cooling  of  a  hot  solution,  it  is  deposited  in  the  form  of  small 
amorphous  masses,  which  are  turned  brown  by  the  direct  action 
of  light.  It  is  very  soluble,  the  solutions  frothing  like  solution 
of  soap  and  coagulating  like  one  of  albumen,  at  a  temperature 
of  140°  to  167°  Fahrenheit.  After  cooling,  and  three  or  four 
days'  repose,  the  coagulum  is  again  dissolved  by  the  liquid  in 
which  it  was  formed,  and  by  the  application  of  heat  may  again 
be  coagulated.  Cyclamin  contains  no  nitrogen.  It  is  soluble 
in  large  quantities  in  hot  alcohol,  is  free  of  sulphur  and  phos- 
phorous, and  is  combustible  on  platina  foil  without  residue.  Its 
aqueous  solution  is  not  colored  with  iodine,  not  even  after  coagu- 
lation, nor  can  it  reduce  the  tartrate  of  copper  and  potassa,  or 
ferment  when  brought  in  contact  with  yeast.  The  aqueous 
solution  of  Cyclamin  absorbs  vapor  of  bromine  quite  readily, 
and  forms  a  coagulum  without  coloration,  unless  the  bromine 
is  in  excess.  The  action  of  chlorine  is  similar.  By  acting 
upon  Cyclamin  with  synaptase  at  86°  to  95p  Fah.  it  suffers 
decomposition  by  splitting  up  ;  glucose  being  generated  which 
may  be  made  to  ferment  with  the  evolution  of  carbonic  acid  and 
the  formation  of  alcohol,  and  reduced  salts  of  copper.  Acetic 
acid  dissolves  it  in  the  cold,  and  the  solution  obtained  is  not 
coagulable.  Hydrochloric  acid  dissolves  it  also,  but  the  solution 
is  coagulated  at  185°  Fah.  with  the  formation  of  glucose.  With 
concentrated  sulphuric  acid  Cyclamin  is  colored  first  yellow  and 
then  a  permanent  violet  red.  This  coloring  matter,  however,  disap- 
pears with  the  immediate  formation  of  a  white  precipitate  on  the 
addition  of  an  excess  of  water.  Bichloride  of  mercury  added  to 
a  cold  solution  of  Cyclamin  has  no  action,  while  gallic  acid 
coagulates  it.  By  nitric  acid  it  is  readily  acted  upon  in  the 
cold,  the  products  being  acids  capable  of  combination  with 
