ON KINOVIC BITTER. 
205 
data for making the least correction of an analysis made with 
great care of a very pure preparation, I prefer the following 
formula for the kinovic bitter and salseparine, founded on cal- 
culation. 
Atoms. By calculation. 
Carbon 17 = 1299.429 62.46 
Hydrogen 29 = 180.960 8.69 
Oxygen 6 = 600.000 28.85 
2080.389 == 100.00 
The formula of the hydrate is therefore C 7 H 29 O 6 -f 2 
(H* 0). 
Kinovic bitter is white and pulverulent, but may also be ob- 
tained in small scales, when its alcoholic solution is slowly 
evaporated. It is inodorous, though when heated it diffuses 
a faint balsamic odour; its taste is farinaceous, but its after 
taste is somewhat acrid, bitter and very disagreeable. It is 
scarcely soluble in cold water, but more so in hot; soluble in 
almost all proportions in strong alcohol, less so in ether or the 
oils. Exposed to the flame of a spirit lamp, or a slip of plati- 
na, it first melts into a yellowish fluid, which on cooling as- 
sumes the appearance of a resinous mass; at a higher tempera- 
ture it becomes brown and gives out white fumes and a resi- 
nous odour, leaving a very light charcoal, which burns readily 
and without residue. 
All these properties are perfectly similar to those of salse- 
parine as described by MM. Poggiale and Thueeuf. 
The aqueous and alcoholic solutions of salseparine froth much 
on being stirred. The same takes place with those of kinovic 
bitter, even where they are much diluted. According to M. 
Poggiale, salseparine slightly changes the colour of tincture 
of turmeric as well as that of syrup of violets, and consequent- 
ly is somewhat alkaline. I dissolved kinovic bitter in diluted 
tincture of litmus, slightly reddened by an acid, and also in 
the tincture of turmeric, but could not perceive the least 
change of colour. My experiments therefore confirm those 
of M. Thubeuf on salseparine. 
