EUPHORBIACE^. 



309 



The leaves, stem, and root of 22. communis contain the same 

 actiye principles as the seeds ; a proximate analysis by A. L. 

 Beck {Amei\ Journ. Pharm., 1888) gave the . following 



results : 



Boot* 



m * 



Extracted by petroleum spint 



, 5, ether 



t 



„ alcohol 



WfllGT ■ • ■ • •• < 



" diluted Na OH 



HOI, 



9f 



SI 



>l 



Loss by chlorine 



Residues, cellulose, &c. 



Ash 



Moisture 

 Loss .... 



4-582 



0-275 



2-575 



0-316 



2-490 



0-833 



12G99 





1-200 





2193 





5-440 





43-590 





11-220 



5-466 



12-700 



6-100 



1311 





380 



0-338 



7-050 

 7-083 



The poisonous principle present in castor oil seeds has been 

 variously represented as an alkaloid, a glucoside, and an 



But as the result of an exhaustive chemical and 



organic acid. 



pharmacological investigation, recorded in a lengthy treatise 

 {Arbeit, d. Pharmakol. Inst. Dorpat, Part III,, p. 59), Herr Still- 

 mark has come to the conclusion that it is an albuminoid body, 

 identical with the **B. phytalbumose, " separated from the 

 dried juice of Carica Papaya by Sidney Martin, and belonging 

 to the class of unformed ferments. This substance, which he 

 has named ^^ricin," may be prepared by exhausting well- 

 pressed peeled E-icinus seeds, reduced to powder, with a 10 per 

 cent, solution of sodiimi chloride, saturating the clear percolate at 

 the oi'dinary temperature with magnesium sulphate and sodium 

 sulphate, and keeping it in a cool place, when, besides large 

 crystals of the two sulphates, a white precipitate, easily separable 



from these, is formed. This is 



m 



a dialyser, with 



frequent changes of water, for six days, after which the residue 

 is removed and dried over sulphuric acid, and can then be 

 reduced to a snow-white powder, which still contains 1 to 20 

 per cent, of sulphate. This substance is a most powerful poison, 



