APPENDIX. 101 
Mr. J. C. Umney contributed a paper on Podophyllum emodi at the 
Pharmaceutical Conference heldin Edinburgh in August 1892, from 
which we extract the following :— 
The results of Podwissotzki’s work on the resin of P. peltatum 
may be briefly summarized thus— 
The physiologically active portion of podophyllum resin consists 
of podophyllotoxin, which is composed of picropodophyllin held in 
solution by picropodophyllic acid. 
Picropodophyllin is a neutral crystalline principle, which, though 
the sole active ingredient of the resin, is inactive in its free state, 
owing to its insolubility, but in combination with, or more probably 
solution in, picropodophyllic acid is extremely active. The resin also 
contains an inactive acid—podophyllic acid, a yellow colouring 
matter,—podophylloquercetin and fatty matter. 
The results of the examination of P. emodi resin are classified in 
the following table, and are compared with the analysis, under the 
same conditions, of a sample of resin of P. peltatum :— 
P.emodi, P. peltatum. 
Resin by official St for podophyllin resin 11-4 5°9 
Constituents of the r 
Rade on de e) . irs i) 33:8 
Pure crystalline picrapodapaylek ‘és ae 4:5 
Picropodophyllic acid sas Ses { a Te Science, 
Podophyllic acid bes ie we. 00°38 69 
Dieses llctgattesaiis ce bys oe wes 2-4 
Fatty matter 2°3 a7 
The picropodophyllin melted a 208 210°C, 
_ The podophyllic acid melted at 125°. 
The podophylloquercetin melted at 248°. 
Mr. Umney concludes his paper by saying that the rhizome of 
Podophyllum emodi yields nearly double the amount of resin yielded 
by P. peltatum, but the resin contained only about half the quantity 
of crystalline picropodophyllin, to which the value as a cathartic 
is due. 
We have not heard of any medical opinions concerning the value 
of the resin, and without such opinion founded on physiological 
experiments we cannot decide the question of making this drug an 
official source of podophyllin resin. 
