SEMEN KALADAN^.. 449 



out the tissue of the cotyledons, are about 70 mkm. in diameter, and 

 contain an oily liquid. 



Chemical Composition — By exhausting the seeds dried at 100° C. 

 with boiling ether, we obtained a thick ligTit-brownish oil having an 

 acrid taste and concreting below 18' C. The powdered seeds yielded 

 of this oil 14-i per cent. Water removes from the seeds a considerable 

 amount of nuicilage, some albuminous matter and a little tannic acid. 

 The first is soluble to some extent in dilute spirit of wine, and may be 

 precipitated therefrom by an alcoholic solution of acetate of lead. 



_ The active principle of kaladana is a resin, soluble in alcohol, but 

 neither in benzol nor in ether. From the residue of the seeds after 

 exhaustion by ether, treatment with absolute alcohol removed a pale 

 yellowish resin in quantity equivalent to 8-2 per cent, of the seed. 



Kaladana resin, which has been introduced into medical practice in 

 India under the name of Fharhitisin,^ has a nauseous acrid taste and an 

 unpleasant odour, especially when heated. It melts about 160° C. The 

 following liquids dissolve it more or less freely, namely, spirit of wine, 

 absolute alcohol, acetic acid, glacial acetic acid, acetone, acetic ether, 



methylic and amylic alcohol, and alkaline solutions. It is on the other 

 hand insohd)le in ether, benzol, chloroform, and sulphide of carbon. 

 With concentrated sulphuric acid, it forms a brownish yellow solution, 

 quickly assuming a violet hue. This reaction however requires a very 

 •small quantity of the powdered resin. If a solution of the resin in 

 ammonia, after having been kept a short time, is acidulated, no precipi- 

 tate is formed ; but the solution is now capable of separating protoxide 

 of copper from an alkaline solution of the tartrate, whicli originally it 

 did not alter. Heated with nitric acid, the resin affords sehacic acid 

 (see p. 446). 



, From these reactions of kaladana resin, wc are entitled to infer that 

 It agrees with the resin of jalap or ConvohuUn. To prepare it in 



quantity, it would ^ -„ - 



acetic acid, and to precipitate it bj ^ . i i • i 



ascertained that the resin is not decomposed when digested with glacial 

 acetic acid at 100° C, even for a week. i. , i , 



We have had the opportunity of examining a sample of kaladana 

 resin manufactured by Messrs. Rogers and Co., chemists of Bombay and 

 f oona, which we found to agree with that prepared by ourselves. Jt 

 ;? a light yellowish friable mass, resembling purified jalap resin, anc 

 ^f e it, capable of being perfectly decolorized by treatment with aniiiial 

 charcoal. ^ ^ -^ 



Uses— Kaladana seeds have cathartic powers like jalap. Besides 

 ^he resin, an extract, tincture and compound powder have heen in- 

 troduced into the FhannaaqMtiia of Indin. _ In many parts of India 

 e natives take the roasted seeds as a purgative. 



probably be best to treat the seeds with common 

 recipitate it by neutralizing the solution. We have 



th 



1 



Pharmacopmci of India ^ 18C8, 156, 



£f 



