ASCLEPIADE. ABS 
___ parenchyme of the middle cortical layer is loaded with starch 
and contains some sclerenchymatous cells. e cells of the 
medullary rays also contain starch and crystals of oxalate of 
lime. In the middle layer are numerous laticiferous vessels, 
the contents of which are of a brown colour. 
_ Chemical composition.—The authors of the Pharmacographia 
state, that by following the process of Duncan, 200 grammes 
of the powdered bark of C. gigantea yielded nothing like his 
- mudarine, but 2:4 grammes of an acrid resin soluble in ether 
_ andalcohol. The latter solution reddens litmus; the former 
on evaporation yields the resin as an almost colourless mass. 
When the aqueous liquid is separated from the crude resin, 
and much absolute alcohol added, an abundant precipitate of 
mucilage is obtained, and the liquid now contains a bitter 
_ principle, which after due concentration may be separated by 
means of tannic acid. Similar results were obtained by 
exhausting the bark of C. procera with dilute alcohol. The 
tannic compound of the bitter principle was mixed with 
carbonate of lead, dried, and boiled with spirit of wine. This 
after evaporation furnished an amorphous, very bitter mass, 
not soluble in water, but readily so in absolute alcohol. The 
solution is not precipitated by an alcoholic solution of acetate 
of lead. By purifying the bitter principle with chloroform or 
ether, it is at last obtained colourless. This bitter matter is 
Serobably the active principle of Calotropis ; they ascertained by 
: ‘Means of = usual tests that no alkaloid occurs in the drug. 
ne 
which they thought would prove to be the Aseclepione of List, 
but subsequently (1885), upon Warden continuing the investi- 
gation of the drug in the Chemical Laboratory of the Gesun- 
dheits Amt, Berlin, he found the substance supposed to be 
lepione to have a composition corresponding with the for- 
ia C'7H?80, whereas List’s asclepione is ee. by 
formula 0*°H5*0". cae 
