560 ' EUPHORBIACE^. 



looking substance, among which portions of the angular spiny stem of 

 the plant may be met with. Manj^ of the pieces encrust a tuft of spines 

 or a flower-stalk or are hollow. The substance is brittle and traus- 

 lucent; splinters examined under the microscoj)e exhibit no particular 

 structure^ even by the aid of polarized light; nor are starch granules 

 visible/ The odour is slightly aromatic, especially if heat is applied; 

 but 10 lb. of the drug which we subjected to distillation afforded no 

 essential oil, Euphorbium has a persistent and extremely acrid taste; 

 its dust excites violent sneezing, and if inhaled, as when the drug is 

 powdered, occasions alarming symptoms. 



Chemical Composition — Analysis of euphorbium performed hj 

 one of us^ showed the composition of the drug to be as follows: — 



Amorphous resin, 0^*^11**^0'- ... ... ... 38 



Euphorbon, O^^H'^'^O 



Mucilage ... 



* » « 



22 

 -18 



Malates, chiefly of calcium and sodium ... 12 



Mineral compounds - - - - - - ... - - . 10 



w.w»«* ••• ••• »*t «■• ■■• 



•«• ••• •»• 



100 



The amorphous resin is readily soluble in cold spirit of wine con- 

 ining about 70 per cent, of alcohol. The solution has no acid re- 



ta ^ 



^ c • Pe -■ . . , 



action, but an extremely burning acrid taste: in fact it is to the 

 amorphous indifferent resin that euphorbium owes its intense acridity. 

 By evaporating the resin with alcoholic potash and neutralizing the 

 residue with a dilute aqueous acid, a brown amorphous substance, the 

 Ewphorbic Acid of Buchheim,^ is precipitated. It is devoid _of the 

 acridity of the resin fi^om which it orioinated, but has a bitterish 



taste. 



Fi-om the drug deprived of the amorphous resin as above stated, ether 

 (ether or petroleum) takes up the Euphorhon, which may be obtained 

 ill colourless, although not very distinct crystals, which are at first not 

 free from acrid taste. But bv repeated crystallizations and finally 



iling in a weak solution of permanganate of potassium, they may be 

 far purified as to be entirely tasteless. Euphorbon is insoluble 

 in water; it requires about 60 parts of alcohol, sp. gr. 0-830, loi 

 solution at the ordinary temperature. In boiling alcohol eu[)horbon 

 dissolves abundantly, also iu ether, benzol, amylic alcohol, chloroiorni, 

 acetone, or glacial acetic acid. 



Euphorbon melts at 116' C. (113° to 114°, Hesse) without emittmg any 

 odour. By dry distillation a brownish oily liquid is obtained, wljicn 

 claims further examination. If euphorbon dissolved in alcoliol^^^'J 

 allowed to form a thin film in a porcelain capsule, and 



IS 



moistened with a little concentrated sulphuric acid, a fine violet Hue 

 produced in contact with stronrr nitric acid slowly added by ^'^J''^^, 

 " -1-- rod. The san)e reaction is displayed by Laducerin (see Laci 



I, to which in its general characters euphorbon is closely aui 



a glass 

 carium) 



» By careful investigation a very few are selected fraOTants, free from extraneous 



loiiiul at last t i. ■ r * 



•> pii 1 • • ,-,». Eiibstances. r^7,»-cs6«i'"''> 



^ luckiger 111 Wittstein's Viert.Ijnhre.^- » Wingers an.l Husemann, /«/''^^*'' 



fio'7^0-^"^^"^''- ^^/'«'-«'«'''>. xvii. (18GS) 1873. 559. 

 0--1U-.— Ihe drug analysed consisted of 



