2io THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



This residue was a semi-liquid mass, of a clear, light green color, a 

 strongly aromatic odor and an oily acrid taste. 



To prove the presence of a volatile oil steam was blown through this 

 extract and the distillate was extracted with benzin. In this way a few 

 drops of the oil were obtained. Steam was then blown through a larger 

 portion of the drug itself. The distillate had a faintly acid reaction, and 

 yielded to benzin a little volatile oil as before. This oil is a light brown 

 colored liquid, of a powerful and fragrant odor. 



Another portion of the benzin extract was shaken with acidulated wa- 

 ter and the aqueous liquid tested for alkaloids and bitter principles, but 

 with negative results. A small portion of the watery liquid, evaporated 

 from a watch crystal, left a trace of a soft resin soluble in alcohol and 

 dilute ammonia. 



The aqueous liquid was made alkaline with ammonia, and again shaken 

 with the benzin extract. This removed an acrid resin, which was precip- 

 itated from solution in ammonia water on the addition of an acid. Clark 

 and Fischer failed to find this resin, probably by reason of their following 

 Dragendorff too closely. This excellent authority does not treat possibly 

 present resins in his chapter on substances soluble in benzin. This resin, 

 as thus precipitated, is a 3'ellowish-brown semi-liquid, adhesive mass, of 

 an acrid taste, and producing a biting sensation on the tongue and an irri- 

 tation in the throat, followed by a numbing sensation which remains for 

 some time. As these properties seem to indicate this resin to be of some 

 importance, a detailed examination of its properties was made. 



Though soft at first, it becomes harder on standing. It is readily solu- 

 ble in benzin, benzol, alcohol, ether and chloroform. Its solution shows 

 a strong acid reaction. It combines readily with the alkalies, both caustic 

 and carbonated, yielding an amorphous compound having all the proper- 

 ties of a resin soap. This soap is readily soluble in alcohol and in water, 

 and produces the same effect on the tongue and mouth as the resin itself ; 

 but, owing to its solubility, these effects are produced more quickly and 

 perhaps more intensely. The resin itself is only very slightly soluble in 

 water. The ammonium soap is decomposed on boiling, ammonia escaping 

 and the resin precipitating. An attempt was made to determine whether 

 the acrid properties of the resin are inherent to the entire mass, or whether 

 they are due to some principle which could be isolated. Tannic acid failed 

 to produce a precipitate in the neutral solution of the soap. Neutral lead 

 acetate produced a dense precipitate of the lead salt of the resin. The 

 filtrate from this precipitate, after the removal of the excess of lead with 

 hydrogen sulphide, yielded only traces of the original resin. The precip- 

 itate was then decomposed with hydrogen sulphide, the v mixed precipitates 

 of resin and plumbic sulphide extracted with alcohol, the solvent evap- 

 orated, and the original resin obtained with its acridity unimpaired. 



