48 LYTHRACE. 
bark is traversed by narrow medallary rays, and very lar 
l hymat ll ttered through the liber. Touch 
with a dilute solution of a persalt of iron, the bark assumes a 
dark blackish blue tint. a 
Chemical composition.—“‘The bark contains, according 
Wackenroder (1824), more than 22 per cent. of- tannic ac 
Ellagic Acid, C'*H80°, and sugar. Punico-tannic acid 
accompanied by common tannic acid, yielding by means 
sulphuric acid, gallic acid, which appears sometimes to p 
exist in the bark. Ifa decoction of pomegranate bark is pre 
pitated by acetate of lead, and the lead is separated from t 
filtered liquid, the latter on evaporation yields a considerable. 
amount of mannite. This is probably the Punicin or Granatin 
of former observers.” (Pharmacographia, 2nd Ed., p. 2919 
Tanret (1878) announced the discovery of a liquid alkalo 
which has the tenicide power of the bark. The alkaloid 
obtained in a pure state by distilling its ethereal solution in 
current of hydrogen, and maintaining the residue at a tempey 
ture of 130° to 140° C. until it no longer gives off the vapor 
of water. The temperature is then raised, and the liquid colk- 
lected that distils between 180° and 185° C. 
Pelletierine so obtained is colourless, but in the open air 
in flasks incompletely filled it becomes coloured very rapid]; 
At zero its sp. gr. is. 0°999 and at 21°C. 0-985. It is ve 
soluble in water, with which it undergoes a contraction 
volume, a mixture of ] part of pelletierine with 2-5 parts of 
having at 21° C. a sp. gr. of 1-021. 
Pelletierine is dextrogyre, having in aqueous solution ar 
tory power of [a]s =+80, that of the sulphate prepared 
the distilled alkaloid is + 5-98. With sulpharie acid 
potassium bichromate pelletierine gives a green colour 
intense as alcohol under the same conditions, a 
Analyses of the alkaloid as well as of the crystalline 
that it forms with sulphuric and hydrochloric acids indicat 
” 
