452 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Constituents. Resin 8 to 12 per cent., 85 to 90 per cent, of 

 which is insokible in ether. Power and Rogerson (/. Am. Che in. 

 Soc, 32, 1910, p. 80) isolated from the ethereal extract of the 

 resin a new dihydric alcohol (ipurganol) which crystallizes in 

 colorless needles and yields color reactions similar to those given 

 by the phytosterols. From the chloroform extract they isolated a 

 small amount of ^-methylsesculetin. The petroleum ether extracts 

 showed the presence of palmitic and stearic acids in the free state. 

 On treatment with alkalies and dilute sulphuric acid some of the 

 extracts of the resins yield a number of acids and there are indi- 

 cations that a portion of the chloroform extract of the resins is 



Fig. 19s. Transverse section of jalap: Ph, cork cells; Se, resin cells; O, rosette aggre- 

 gates of calcium oxalate; Si, sieve cells; G, tracheae; C, primary cambium; C'-, secondary 

 cambium. After Meyer. 



of a glucosidal nature. The alcohol extract of the resin, which 

 represented 38.8 per cent, of the total resin, was obtained, after 

 treatment with animal charcoal, in the form of a nearly white 

 powder. When subjected to alkaline hydrolysis with baryta, 

 this alcohol extract yielded a number of organic acids together 

 with a hydrolyzed resin of very complex composition. Jalap also 

 contains a volatile oil, calcium oxalate, starch, gum and sugar. 



Allied Plants. Turpeth root or Indian Jalap is the root of 

 Operciilina Tnrpetliuin, a plant growing in the East Indies. It 

 contains a resin consisting chiefly of turpethin and turpethein, 

 a glucosidal, ether-soluble resinoid substance. 



Male Jalap or Orizaba is the root of Ipouioca oriaahcnsis. a 

 plant indigenous to Mexico. The drug consists of the entire, 



