CONVOLVULACE. 533 
Chemical composition.—The authors of the Pharmacographia 
say:—‘* By exhausting the seeds dried at 100° C., with boiling. 
ether, we obtained a thick light-brownish oil having an acrid 
taste and concreting below 18°C. The powdered seeds yield- 
ed of this oil 144 per cent. Water removes from the seeds 
a considerable amount of mucilage, 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 norinether. From the residue of 
the seeds after exhaustion by ether, treatment with absolute 
alcohol removed a pale yellowish resin in quantity equivalent 
8-2 per cent. of the seed. Kaladana resin, which has been in- 
oduced into medical practice in India under the name of Phar- 
tisiny has a nauseous acrid taste and an unpleasant odour, 
ecially when heated. It melts at about 160°C. The follow- 
ing 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, insoluble in ether, benzol, chloro- 
rm, and sulphide of carbon. With concentrated sulphuric 
acid, it forms a brownisb yellow solution, quickly assuming & 
violet hue. This reaction, however, requires a very small 
quantity of the powdered resin. Ifa solution of the resin in 
monia after having been kept a short time is acidulated, no 
ecipitate is formed; but the solution is now capable of sepa- 
ig protoxide of copper from an alkaline solution of the 
rate which originally it did not alter. Heated with nitric 
1, the resin affords sebactc actd. 
rom these reactions of Kaladana resin, we are entitled to 
that it agrees with the resin of jalap or Convolvulin. To 
re it in quantity, it would probably be best to treat 
‘seeds with common acetic acid, and to precipitate it by 
ising the solution. We have ascertained that the resin 
for a week. phe lea al 8 
‘a ye 
a 
Br 
* 
