DICTIONARY OF THE ACTIVE PUINCII'LES Ol' I'LANTS. 



CALAMINE A., strongly alkaline. 



Soluble in alcohol, cliloroform, acetone, and dilute acids ; not in water 

 or etlier. 

 Precipitants : 



Tannic acid. I Phospho-molybdic acid. 



[Platinum chloride, reduced.] | lodo-potassic iodide. 



[Fehling's solution, »o; reduced.] | Mercuric- potassic iodide. 



§0. ADANSONIA digitata, A. Gregorii (Baobab tree); Malvacea ; 

 Africa, India, etc. The bark. Investigators, 'Wa\z,J(ilii-h. f. Phunn. 24 ; 

 Wittstein, Viertelj. schr.f. Pharm. 4A\. 



ADANSONIXE A. (?), crystallises in needles, odour like aloes or gentian ; 

 bitter. 



Soluble in (I parts cold or 3 parts hot ether, and in alcohol ; slightly in 

 water. Forms crystalline compounds with acids (Dupuy). 

 Reactions : 



Alk.lme hydrates ) s^,,_ ,,^^,._ 



Ammonia j ■' 



No precipitates with metallic salts (Wittstein). 



§ 6. ADONIS amufensis : RamincAilacea'. From the root, Tahara has 

 isolated Adonin ; from A. vernalis, V. Cervello has separated a substance 

 named Adonidin, which yives the same reactions, and is presumably 

 identical with the other glncoside (Y. Inoko). 



ADONIN G. (Adonidin ?), C„jHj„0<|, neutral, intensely bitter : converted 

 by boiling dilute acids into glucose, and a resinous matter soluble in 

 ether. 



Soluble in water, cloud on umrminrj and jiarH(d xejHiru/ion, also in alcohol, 

 chloroform, and acetic acid. Insoluble in ether. 

 Precipitants : 



[Dilute alkalies, do not decompose.] I Gold chloride, 

 (iallic acid. Mercuric chloride. 



Picric acid. | 



Colour tests : Concentrated sulphuric acid, deep red ; nitric acid, 

 indigo blue ; hydrochloric acid, rose red. 



ADCNIDIN (Adonin ? see above) is stated to have an action resembling 

 that of digitalin, but weaker. 

 Reactions, see above. 



§ 7. JESCULUS bijipocastaneum (Horse Chestnut); Scij/mdaaw ; all 

 the substances below ; ^-Esculetin (/<) has been found in the free state in 

 the seeds of Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge, or Semen Cataputise 

 minoris) ; iEsculin also in Hymenodictyon exoelsum (which see), and in 

 Gelsemium nitidum (Jasmine, see Strychnos group) ; for Fraxin (exist- 

 ing in horse chestnut), see Fraxinus. 



(o) /ESCULIN G. (^Esculinic acid, Bicolorin, • SchillerstofI,' Polychrome), 

 CijHiiiOi/lr^HoO (Liebermann), crys. needles and prisms. M.P. 1G0°; 

 fluorescent (visible 1 in 1,.''j(K),UI)0) ; acid reaction, slightly hitter ; by 

 action of heat or dilute acid a;sculetin and sugar are formed. 



Soluble in G72 parts water at 10° or 1'2| boiling, in DO of cold alcohol 

 (S|i. G. 0'7'J8) or '24 boiling ; in chloroform (which removes it from acid 

 solution), but not in absolute ether, and scarcely in ordinary ether. 



Reactions : Alkaline hydrates dissolve more readily than water (solu- 

 tions fluorescent). Precipitated by basic lead acetate, but not by other 

 metallic salts. 



Colour tests : Dilute nitric acid, on shaking, gives a yellow solution, 

 becoming blood-red with ammonia. 



Ammonium bisulphite, and then ammonia, give a blood-red, becoming 

 blue on shaking. 



(h) /ESCULETIN (from above, and in free state ; see statement concern- 

 ing Euphorbia lathyris above), C;,H,i04-|-H„0, crys. silky needles and 

 plates like benzoic acid. M.P. 270^, part volatilizing, neutral reaction, 

 bitter, fluorescent — feebly blue. 



Soluble with difticulty in cold water or cold alcohol, more easily in 

 either when hot. Insoluble in ether, chloroform, glacial acetic acid, or 

 carbon bisulphide. 



Reactions : 



Alkalies dissolve to yellow solution (acids reprecipitat^). 

 Lead acetate, neutral or basic, gives pp. 



Copper sulphate K^j„„g<j 

 Sliver nitrate ) 



(c) /ESCULETIN-HYDRATE, 4C,,H604-fH20; crystalline; M.P. 250°, part 

 subliming ; isomeric with Daphnetin. Less soluble than ^55sculetin. 

 Alkalies and lead acetate, as iEsculin. 



(d) ARGYR/ESCIN G., C,,Hj.,Oi„ ; silvery crystals. 



Soluble in alcohol, with difficulty in water (solution frothy). In- 

 soluble in ether. 



