Am.  Jour.  Phaim.  1 
October,  1895.  i 
Report. 011  Tannin. 
517 
solution  with  acetic  ether,  even  in  the  presence  of  salt,  did  not  serve 
to  separate  the  tannin  from  the  gum,  as  the  latter  substance  seemed 
to  withhold  the  former.  The  close  association  of  the  two  principles 
was  finally  broken  up  to  some  extent  by  agitation  of  the  coarsely 
powdered  sample  with  sand  and  acetone.  Upon  allowing  the  mix- 
ture to  rest,  the  gum  separated  as  a  jelly-like  mass.  The  acetone 
solution  when  separated,  and  the  solvent  recovered  by  distillation, 
left  the  tannin  in  a  porous  condition,  but  still  admixed  with  some 
gum.  From  this  residue  the  greater  part  of  the  still  adhering  gum 
was  separated  by  treatment  with  absolute  alcohol.  The  solution 
was  filtered  from  the  gum  left  undissolved  by  that  solvent  and  dis- 
tilled to  dryness,  and  the  residue  rendered  porous  by  solution  in  a 
mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether  and  subsequent  rapid  vaporization  of 
those  solvents  by  distillation  under  reduced  pressure. 
The  ultimate  composition  of  the  pure  tannin  will  be  seen  by 
the  following  average  of  three  analyses  : 
Per  Cent. 
Carbon  58 -91 
Hydrogen   4/80 
Oxygen  36  29 
100  -oo 
An  aqueous  solution  of  the  tannin  gave  the  following  reactions  : 
I^ime  water  Purplish-pink  color,  becoming  a  brownish  ppt. 
Bromine  water  ....  Yellow  ppt. 
Ferric  chloride  ....  Green  ppt.  and  color. 
The  composition,  as  well  as  the  reactions,  indicate  it  to  be  very 
closely  related  to  oak  bark  tannin,  if  not  identical  with  it.  The 
sample  does  not  agree  in  composition  or  properties  with  the 
dragon's  blood  from  the  East  Indies  ;  it  does,  however,  closely  re- 
semble the  kinos,  and  should  more  properly  be  classed  with  them. 
It  will,  no  doubt,  if  found  in  sufficient  quantity,  have  some  use  in 
medicine  as  a  kino,  and  it  might  be  used,  in  case  its  price  should 
warrant  it,  in  the  manufacture  of  leather,  although  such  substances 
containing  gum  usually  make  a  soft  product. 
