294  Citric  Acid  in  the  Cranberry, 
The  alcoholic  tincture  possessed  a  dark  green  color  by  reflected  light 
and  brown  color  by  transmitted  light.  Upon  evaporation  a  dark  green 
extract  was  obtained.  Its  solution  in  water,  in  which  it  is  slightly 
soluble,  gives  a  black  precipitate  with  ferric  chloride.  A  portion  of 
the  tincture  was  evaporated  to  a  small  bulk,  thrown  upon  water  and 
the  insoluble  portion  filtered  out,  again  dissolved  in  alcohol  and  treated 
with  animal  charcoal ;  when  filtered  the  solution  was  colorless,  and 
left  no  residue  when  evaporated.  The  solution  of  the  extract  in  chlo- 
roform, when  treated  with  purified  animal  charcoal,  filtered  and  evapo- 
rated, left  a  small  quantity  of  a  soft,  yellowish  substance,  probably 
resin.  By  the  treatment  of  the  leaves  with  petroleum  benzin  and 
evaporatmg  a  quantity  of  fatty  matter  is  obtained,  freely  soluble  in 
ether.  Negative  results  were  obtained  when  examining  for  an  alkaloid 
and  volatile  oil. 
One  hektogram  of  the  dried  leaves  was  incinerated  ;  5*40  grams  of 
ash  of  a  light  gray  color  was  obtained,  having  an  alkaline  reaction. 
Appropriate  tests  indicated  the  presence  of  carbonates,  chlorides  and 
phosphates  of  potassium,  calcium,  magnesium  and  iron,  while  the 
organic  constituents  of  the  leaves  are  tannin  (9  per  cent.),  gum,  albu- 
men, resin  (a  trace),  fat,  extractive  and  lignin. 
CITRIC  ACID  IN  THE  CRANBERRY, 
By  George  A.  Ferdinand,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  following  experiments  were  made  with  the  view  of  determining, 
the  nature  of  the  free  acid  contained  in  the  ripe  cranberry,  Vaccinium 
macrocarpon,  Alton  : 
The  berries  were  bruised,  boiled  with  water  and  strained  ;  the  residue 
was  again  and  repeatedly  boiled  and  the  liquid  expressed  until  the  last 
portion  thereof  and  the  residue  were  neutral  to  litmus  paper.  The 
various  liquids  were  then  mixed  and  treated  with  alcohol  to  remove  the 
pectin  ;  the  precipitated  pectin  was  mixed  with  clean  sand,  dried  at  a 
temperature  of  ioo°C.,  again  placed  on  a  filter  and  washed  with  alcohol 
until  the  washings  gave  a  neutral  reaction  with  moistened  litmus  paper.. 
The  mixed  filtrates  were  concentrated  to  drive  off  the  alcohol,  after 
which  the  garnet-red  liquid  remaining  was  allowed  to  stand  until  cold,, 
when  it  was  saturated  with  calcium  carbonate  and  solution  of  calcium 
hydrate.    The  filtrate  and  cold  washings  were  boiled,  evaporated  to 
