THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



177 



placed in a retort and steam was blown 

 through until the distillate was devoid of 

 odor and oily particles; a very small 

 quantity of a volatile oil was obtained, 

 which possessed a peculiar persistent 

 odor, characteristic of the berries. 



Another quantity of about five pounds 

 of the pulp was successively exhaused 

 with hot benzol, alcohol (90$:) and aci- 

 dulated water. 



Benzol Extract. — The drug was ex- 

 hausted with hot benzol until no further 

 extractive was taken up, the benzol ex- 

 tract was then evaporated at the lowest 

 possible temperature to extractive con- 

 sistence. 



A portion of this extract yielded a 

 small quantity of volatile oil on distilla- 

 tion in a current of steam. Another 

 portion was well shaken with hot acidu- 

 lated water, the latter was then trans- 

 ferred to a separating funnel, made alka- 

 line and shaken with ether; the etheral 

 solution was divided into several por- 

 tions on watch glasses and evaporated. 

 The residue was dissolved in a few drops 

 of acidulated water and tested for an 

 alkaloid with the following results. 

 Positive reactions were obtained with 

 Mayer's, Dragendorff's, Scheibler's, 

 Sonnenschein's and Bouchardat's re- 

 agents as well as with Ingol's solution 

 and solutions of Tannic and Picric acids. - 

 Crystalline double salts were obtained 

 with Platinic and Auric chlorides and 

 Picric acid. Owing to the small amount 

 of principle available, further experi- 

 ments were not available; however, I 

 feel justified in announcing the presence 

 of an alkaloid. 



A third portion of the benzol extract 

 was dissolved in a small quantity of 

 chloroform, which in turn was poured 

 into an excess of cold alcohol. A white 

 precipitate resulted, which was collected 

 and purified by resolution in chloroform 

 and precipitation in alcohol. This pre- 



cipitate consisted of an indifferent resin, 

 which was insoluble in alcohol, not 

 affected by any of the inorganic acids or 

 oxidizing agents, nor by boiling aqueous 

 or alcoholic potassium hydrate. It 

 melted between 96 and 98 C. 



The filtrate from the above precipitate 

 yielded upon evaporation a non-drying, 

 saponifiable oil of pale-reddish color and 

 a/a/ which separated on exposure to low 

 temperature. 



Alcoholic Extract (90^ )• — Considering 

 the quantity of the drug, this was very 

 large. It consisted of glucose of which a 

 portion was insoluble in alcohol and ether 

 and another soluble in both of these 

 solvents. From this extract a vegetable 

 acid was also isolated. 



Acidulated Aqueous Extract. — Water 

 slightly acidulated with hydrochloric 

 acid yielded a large amount of solid ex- 

 tractive matter, which consisted of vege- 

 table albumen, dextrin and glucose. 



Thus in the pulp of berries a volatile 

 oil, an alkaloid, an indifferent resin, a 

 fixed oil, a fat, dextrin and glucose are 

 present. The proportion of fixed oil, fat 

 and glucose found in this is something 

 remarkable. 



The seed, yielded to benzol 12.12 per 

 cent, of a pale-yellowish, bland fixed oil 

 of specific gravity of 0.9103, which was 

 insoluble in alcohol, soluble in ether and 

 chloroform, not saponifiable by aqueous 

 potassium hydrate, but readily so by 

 alcoholic alkalies. It does not yield 

 Elaidin with nitrous acid, being non- 

 drying oil. Aside from this fixed oil 

 some sugar and resin was likewise found 

 to be present. 



The air-dry berries yield 34.4 per 

 cent, of dry extract with alcohol. When 

 dried at ioo° C. till of constant weight 

 they lose 10.125 per cent, moisture. 

 This same sample of drug yielded but 

 24.6 per cent, of dry extract with al- 

 cohol . 



There is but little doubt but that the 

 berries lose considerable of their fixed 

 oil and fatty matter when dried for re- 

 duction to powder form. 



