262 
ON A NEW KIND OF COPAIVA BALSAM. 
volatile acids which furnish a precipitate with basic acetate 
of lead, escape. The residue, evaporated and diluted with 
water, deposits an acid resin, which is not further acted 
upon by nitric acid, whilst a crystalline acid remains dis- 
solved in the liquid. 
The resin is of a a light yellow color, somewhat soluble 
in boiling water ; it becomes milky on cooling. It dissolves 
readily in aether and alcohol, and after a considerable length 
of time some small crystals of the resin are deposited. It 
has an acid reaction, and combines with potash and ammo- 
nia, forming red neutral compounds soluble in water. 
The acid left in solution crystallizes in minute, colorless, 
transparent laminae. It is readily soluble in water, alcohol, 
aether and naphtha. It is free from smell, has a bitter taste 
and a faint acid reaction. It deflagrates with fuming nitric 
acid. Iodine dissolves in it ; with chlorine it gives off 
vapors of muriatic acid gas, and then becomes yellow and 
tenacious. It acquires a dark violet-red color when treated 
with concentrated sulphuric acid. The analysis of the 
paracopaiva oil gave — 
Carbon .... 88.13 10 = 60 88.23 
Hydrogen . . . 11.77 8 8 11.77 
The resin, which with the paracopaiva oil, constitutes 
the original balsam, was prepared by boiling the residue of 
the distillation of the oil with water to expel the remainder 
of the oil. The residual pale brown friable mass consists 
of two different resins, one of which is readily soluble, and 
the other insoluble in alcohol. The soluble resin forms the 
greater portion of the mixture, and may be readily obtained 
pure by repeated solution in alcohol, when the second resin 
is left behind. It is light yellow, easily reduced to powder, 
soft at a gentle heat, and is decomposed at a slightly ele- 
vated temperature, becoming dark-colored and forming a 
thick liquid. It dissolves in weak boiling spirit, but sepa- 
rates for the greater part on cooling in white flakes ; it is 
