^"'sepCi87^5^''"''}  Ammoniacal  Compound  of  Glycyrrhixin.  -407 
glycyrrhizate  of  ammonia.  The  second,  containing  less  ammonia, 
and  which  the  author  considers  to  represent  the  true  sweet  principle  of 
licorice  root,  is  the  glycyrrhizate  of  ammonia,  or,  as  he  proposes  to 
call  it,  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin.  2*50  grams  of  ammoniacal  glycyr- 
rhizin  were  dissolved  in  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether  previously 
acidulated  by  some  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid,  and  platinum  perchlo- 
ride  added  in  slight  excess.  The  chloroplatinate  of  ammonia  collected 
at  the  end  of  forty-eight  hours,  washed  and  dried,  weighed  0*0455 
gram.  Calcined,  it  yielded  0*0205  platinum,  corresponding  to 
0*0035  of  ammonia.  Consequently  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin  contains 
0*14  per  cent,  of  ammonia,  and  the  equivalent  of  glycyrrhizin  would 
be  higher  than  it  has  been  hitherto  considered. 
In  order  to  obtain  the  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin  in  a  very  pure  state, 
the  author  prepares  it  as  follows  :  A  sample  of  licorice  root  is  chosen 
as  sweet  and  well  preserved  as  possible,  all  the  portions  presenting  a 
dark  fracture  are  ehminated,  and  only  those  presenting  a  homogeneous 
yellow  fracture  are  used.  These  are  scraped  superficially,  and  then 
well  pounded  so  as  to  reduce  them  to  a  kind  of  stringy  tow.  This 
substance'is  macerated  in  cold  distilled  water  for  some  hours,  pressed 
and  treated  a  second  time  in  the  same  manner.  The  two  liquors  are 
mixed  and  allowed  to  stand  some  time  to  deposit  the  starch.  The 
supernatant  liquor  is  then  boiled,  and  filtered  to  separate  the  coagulated 
albumen.  After  cooling,  sulphuric  acid,  diluted  with  its  weight  of 
water,  is  added  gradually,  with  brisk  stirring,  until  a  precipitate  is  no 
longer  formed.  The  precipitate,  at  first  gelatinous  and  flocculent,  after 
standing  some  time  forms  a  compact  semi-solid  mass  at  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel.  The  supernatant  liquor  is  rejected,  and  after  roughly  wash- 
ing the  precipitate  several  times  with  pure  water,  it  is  finally  kneaded 
repeatedly  in  distilled  water  until  all  trace  of  acidity  has  disappeared. 
The  mass  is  then  well  drained,  and  agitated  in  a  flask  with  three  times 
its  weight^of  90°  alcohol  until  dissolved,  when  a  similar  quantity  of  96° 
to  98°  alcohol  is  added  to  the  syrupy  liquid  so  produced.  A  little  pec- 
tic  acid  is  thus  precipitated,  which  is  removed  by  filtration.  Ether  is 
then  added  to  the  alcoholic  liquor  as  long  as  a  precipitate  is  formed. 
After  standing  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours  a  blackish  pitchy  sub- 
stance is  deposited,  which  adheres  to  the  glass  and  allows  of  the  clear 
liquor  being  decanted.  To  this  clear  liquor  is  added,  a  small  quantity 
at  a  time,  90°  alcohol  charged  with  gaseous  ammonia,  which  deter- 
mines the  formation  of  a  yellow,  rather  heavy,  flocculent  precipitate  of 
