THE ALUMNI JOURNAl 



175 



doubtful whether dipentene is contained in the 

 original oil, for it may possibly have been 

 formed from the other terpenes or from cineol 

 as a secondary product. 



The fraction between 177° and 205° C yielded 

 menthone and menthol. The portion between 

 209° and 220° C consisted chiefly of menthol- 

 After distilling up to 220° C. the portion remain- 

 ing in the flask by subsequent treatment yielded 

 a resin and an oil which by distillation was 

 resolved into menthol and a thick oil (270° and 

 280° C.) possessing an odor resembling cedar 

 wood. It was thus evident that esters of men- 

 thol were contained in the original oil. The oil 

 of cedarwood-like odor yielded cadinene and it 

 is due to the latter compound that the peculiar 

 color reactions of peppermint oil are due. A 

 substance was also obtained — possessing an odor 

 of borneol camphor and because of reactives 

 with sodium in potassium hydrate is character- 

 ized as a lactone. Solutions of oxy-acid or of 

 the lactone do not decolorize bromine, nor do 

 its solutions in alkali decolorize a cold solu- 

 tion of KjMn^Og. At the temperature of the 

 water bath, however, permanganate gradually 

 becomes decolorized. By treatment with the 

 latter a product was obtained in needles (M. P. 

 90° C) of composition CioHmOg consisting 

 chiefly of the unattached oxy-acid. The authors 

 are continuing their investigations but express 

 the supposition that the acid in question is formed 

 from menthol by the oxidation of a methyl 

 group to carboxyl. Besides acetic and iso. 

 valeric esters an acid of the formula CioHi,;Oa 

 was obtained in the form of a yellowish oil. 



Rhubarb — B. S. Proctor gives a table of re- 

 sults of the action of different solvents upon 

 the root. The general conclusion is that the 

 removal of the dark colored outer portion 

 ought not to be countenanced since that portion 

 is richer than the interior in the alcohol solu- 

 ble extractive matters of which the medicinal 

 value of the root depends. The color of the pow- 

 der which may indicate absence of decayed 

 roots may also indicate low percentage of active 

 constituents and a high percentage of calcium 

 oxalate. The odorous principles of the root may 

 be extracted with chloroform without impairing 

 the medicinal value of the drug, but the powder 

 so deodorized will acquire smell again. If the 

 chrysophanic acid is thoroughly extracted by 

 benzol, a further development of the acid may 

 be effected by the actions of the air, water and 

 KOH. A proof spirit tincture should contain all 

 that is active. An improvement in the B. P. 

 s)'rup consists in employing proof spirit or spirit 

 20 to 30 overproof and adding this tincture to 

 syrup. — PhavDi. Jour. Trans. ^ i^94- 233. 



Subgallate of BisiiiutJi {Dermatol). — Accord- 

 ing to A. Hartz {Phar. Rundschau, 1894, 12- 



182) 306 Gm. of bismuth subnitrate are dissolv- 

 ed in a mixture of 328 Gm. of nitric acid (Sp. 

 Gr. 1.35) and 200 Gm. of water; the fluid is then 

 filtered through glass wool and evaporated to 6oo> 

 Gm. After five or six hours a crystalline mass 

 results, from this the mother-liquor is drained 

 oflf. The crystals are then dissolved in 980 

 Gm. of glacial acetic acid and mixed with & 

 liters of water. To this is added, with constant 

 stirring, a hot solution of 18S Gm. of gallic- 

 acid in 8 liters of water. After settling the 

 precipitate is washed five or six times by decan- 

 tation with hot water ; it is then drained off and 

 dried on porous plates or tiles at a temperature 

 not over 80° C. V. C. 



Phosphoric Acid Determination. — Hugo Neu- 

 bauer has found that the precipitate of am- 

 monium magnesium phosphate only possesses 

 the correct composition (MgNH4P04) when 

 an excess of magnesia has been employed with 

 not more ammonia present than is absolutely 

 necessary for separation. For the exact de- 

 termination of phosphoric acid the following 

 directions are given : The acid is precipitated 

 by means of molybdate solution, the well- 

 washed precipitate being dissolved in 100 Cc. 

 of 2 5 per cent, of ammonia water, then add, 

 dropping in slowly as many cubic centimetres 

 of magnesia mixture* as there are centigrammes 

 ofPaOg. After standing three hours the pre- 

 cipitate is collected and washed with 2.5 per 

 cent, ammonia water, then ignited bringing it 

 slowly to the. temperature of the blast lamp 

 flame, then weighing. V. C. 



Chemistry of Ipecac. — Former investigations 

 by Paul and Cownley have demonstrat- 

 ed that ipecac root contains at least two alka- 

 loids. Later they have found that one of these 

 bases is soluble in caustic alkalies and is ob- 

 tainable in crystalline condition from etherial 

 solution, while the other is only obtained in 

 amorphous condition. The salts of these bases are 

 distinguished from one another in that those of 

 the former do not crystallize and that only the 

 halogen salts and nitrate of the latter yield 

 crystalline compounds. These investigators 

 have retained the name emetin for the base 

 insoluble in caustic alkalies, naming the other 

 base cephaelin. Both of these principles are 

 present in the Brazilian as well as the Cartha- 

 gena ipecac. The alkaloids are separated by 

 exhausting the drug with alcohol, treating with 

 subacetate of lead and acidifying the solution 

 freed from lead. The alkaloids are separated 

 by means of alkali and ether. These principles 

 are characterized by the following ; Emetin is 

 amorphous ; melting point 68°C. ; forms crys- 



* The magnesia mixture consists of 55 Gm. of cryst. 

 maguesiuni chloride, 70 Gm. of ammonium chloride and 

 1000 Gm. of ammonia water of 2.5 per cent. 



