294 CVCUUBITAGEM. 



Elateriuni occurs in irregular cake-like fragments, light, friable, and 

 opaque ; when new, of a bright pale green, becoming by age greyish and 

 exhibiting minute crystals on the surface. It has a hcrby tea-like 

 odour and a very bitter taste. The produce is extremely small : 2401b. 

 of fruit gathered at Mitcham, 10th August 18G8, yielded 41 ounces of 

 elatcrium ^ 0'123 per cent. 



Elaterium consists, according to Pereira, of Elaterin, to whicli the 

 activity of the drug is due, contaminated with green colouring matter, 

 cellular tissue, and starch, together with a little of the residue of the 

 bitter liquor from which these substances were deposited. Yet, in our 

 opinion, this description is not applicable to the best varieties of elater- 

 ium. We have examined elaterium carefully prepared in the labora- 

 tory of Messrs. Allen and Hanburys, London, and a tine specimen 

 imported from Malta. Both are devoid of starch, as well as of cellular 

 tissue, but were seen to be largely made up of crystals. The first 

 sample contained 12 per cent, of water, and yielded after drying, 84 

 per cent, of ash. 



The most interesting principle of elaterium is Elaterin, C'''H'*0, 

 discovered about the year 1831 by Morries, and independently by 

 Hennell. The best method of obtaining it, according to our experience, 

 IS to exhaust elaterium with chloroform. From this solution, a white 

 crystalline deposit of elaterin is immediately separated by addition of 

 ether. It should be washed with a little ether, and recrystallized from 

 chloroform. We have thus obtained 33-6 per cent, of pure elaterin 

 from the above-mentioned elaterium of London, and 27-0 per cent, from 

 that of Malta. Elaterin crystallizes in hexagonal scales or prisms ; it 

 has an extremely bitter, somewhat acrid taste. It is readily soluble in 

 1 ^^?? alcohol, amylic alcohol, bisulphide of carbon, or chloroform. It? 

 alcoholic solutions are neutral and are not precipitated by tannm, nor 

 by any metallic solution. It is but very little coloured hy cold concen- 

 trated sulphuric acid. 



Elaterin is the drastic principle of Echallium; if to its boilin- 

 alcoholic solution, solid caustic potash is added, the liquid thus obtained 

 ^ stated by Buchheim (1872) to be no longer precipitable by water. 

 ihc elaterin is then in fact converted into an acid body, which may je 

 separated by supersaturating the solution with a mineral acid. !"« 

 principle thus obtained has been found by Buchheim to be devoid oi 

 drastic power. 



The fresh juice of the fruits was found by Kohler (1869) to contain 

 9o per cent, of water, 3 to 3-5 of organic and 1 to TC of inorganic con 

 stituents. The same chemist observed that the percentage ot elatei^ 

 gradually diminished as the season advanced, until in the niontH 

 September he was unable to obtain any of it whatever. . 



Walz (1859) found in the juice of the fruits and herb of Echf^J'^ 

 a»s well as in that of Cucumis Frophetarum L., a second crys al J a^ 

 bitter principle, Prophetin, and the amorphous substances EchaUi'. 

 flatenc Acid, Ilydro-elaterin, and Elateride, all of which rcqm 

 further examination.^ Prophetin is a glucoside,-not so the otn 



llT^h . ^^^ *^"^ *°g^t^' ^'^ constitute according to Walz, 8 P 

 cent, of elaterium, which moreover contains about the same percental 



of poetic matter. 



' Gmelin'8 Chenmtnj, xvii. (1866) 335-367. 



