^""sepriss?^"^*}        Polyhydrio  Alcohols  and  Borax.  453 
has  been  added  consequently  contains  boric  acid,  but  yet  this  solution 
gives  no  flame  reaction  for  boric  acid. 
The  Chemistry  of  Mel  Boracis. — In  connection  with  the  above  re- 
sults it  was  interesting  to  examine  the  niel  boracis  of  the  British 
Pharmacopoeia  which  is  practically  a  solution  of  borax  in  honey. 
Mel  boracis  in  its  normal  condition  is  acid  in  reaction,  but  gives  no 
flame  reaction  for  boric  acid.  If  some  of  it  be  mixed  with  a  small 
quantity  of  water  it  is  found  to  be  strongly  acid,  but  if  a  large  excess 
of  water  be  added  it  becomes  alkaline.  Some  mel  boracis  was  exposed 
at  a  temperature  a  little  exceeding  100°C.  until  all  the  water  was 
expelled.  The  resulting  mass  was  powdered  and  exhausted  with  abso- 
lute ether,  which  removed  a  substance  which  imparted  a  vivid  green 
tinge  to  the  flame.  This  substance  was  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol 
and  also  in  water ;  this  latter  solution  was  strongly  acid  and  contained 
a  sugar  which  reduced  Fehling's  solution.  Strained  honey  was  found 
to  be  slightly  acid;  this  acidity  was  neutralized  by  the  addition  of 
sodium  carbonate.  The  faintly  alkaline  honey  thus  obtained  was 
added  to  a  solution  of  borax,  which  is  also  alkaline;  an  acid  reaction 
ensued,  which  was  destroyed  by  heat,  the  solution  becoming  alkaline 
but  regaining  the  acidity  on  cooling.  The  liquid  gave  no  green  flame 
reaction.  A  saturated  solution  of  borax  was  mixed  with  faintly  alka- 
line honey  until  acidity  was  strongly  developed  and  slight  excess  of 
honey  had  been  added.  No  green  flame  reaction  could  be  obtained 
with  the  solution,  although  a  great  number  of  trials  were  made.  The 
solution  was  evaporated  to  dryness  until  all  the  water  had  been  expelled. 
The  mass  so  obtained  was  not  acid  in  reaction,  neither  did  it  become  so 
upon  the  addition  of  absolute  alcohol ;  contrariwise  the  addition  of  a 
small  quantity  of  water  caused  the  development  of  a  marked  acid  reac- 
tion. The  mass  gave  no  flame  reaction  for  boric  acid.  After  powder- 
ing, it  was  extracted  with  absolute  alcohol,  which  upon  evaporation 
left  a  residue  consisting  of  some  unaltered  honey  together  with  a  body 
which  apparently  gave  a  green  flame  reaction,  although  the  color  was 
much  masked  by  the  honey  present.  Another  portion  of  the  mass  was 
exhausted  with  ether,  which  extracted  a  substance  giving  a  vivid  green 
tinge  to  the  flame  of  a  Bunsen  lamp.  It  dissolved  readily  in  absolute 
alcohol  and  this  solution  was  only  faintly  acid.  The  substance  readily 
dissolved  in  water  yielding  a  strongly  acid  solution,  the  acidity  of  which 
was  unaltered  by  boiling.  The  aqueous  solution  readily  reduced 
Fehling's  solution.    The  mass  after  extraction  was  found  to  contain 
