Extracted From The Bignonia Chica By Boiling Its Leaves In Water

: ON THE SEMI-NEUTRAL, MARRONE.

decanting the decoction, and allowing it to cool, when a red matter

falls down, which is formed into cakes and dried. Insoluble in cold

water, it dissolves in alcohol and alkalies; is precipitated from

alkaline solutions by acids without alteration; and is bleached by

chlorine. Another variety of the same substance, obtained from Para in

Brazil, and known as crajuru, carajuru, or caracuru, behaves in a

similar manner.
his is said to be superior to the former sort.



A chica pigment, brought from South America, and examined by the author,

was of a soft powdery texture, and rich marrone colour. Somewhat

resembling Rubens' madder in hue, it was equal in body and transparency

to the carmine of cochineal, though by no means approaching it in

beauty, or even in durability. Simply exposed to the light of a window,

without sun, the colour was soon changed and destroyed. Conclusive

evidence as this is that the sample submitted to Mr. Field was

worthless, it remains to be seen whether all the colours to be derived

from chica, by different modes and from different kinds, are equally

valueless as pigments.



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