DIGITALEIN 627 



physiological activity of which, therefore, precludes its identity 

 with digitonin. Kiliani and Windaus suspected the presence of a 

 lactone in digitalein, because its neutral aqueous solution gives an 

 acid reaction on standing. This proves digitalein to be a distinct 

 substance, of uniform composition. Kraft, on the other hand, accepts 

 the nomenclature of digitalein only as a generic term for all the active 

 glucosides which are soluble in water and are present in digitalis. He 

 also places in this class, gitalin, an amorphous glucoside. 



Digitalene Buignet represents the glucosides of digitalis leaves, 

 which are soluble in water. 



Digitalon is the lactone of digitalonic acid. The name " digi- 

 talon " is also given to a special preparation a solution of all the 

 glucosides present in digitalis to be used subcutaneously in doses of 

 0.5 to 1 c.c. 



Gitalin is a glucoside which was obtained by Kraft from digi- 

 talis leaves. It is soluble in 600 parts of cold water. According 

 to Schmiedeberg, it corresponds in strength in its physiological 

 action to digitalinum vcrum. 



The ash of Digitalis contains iron, calcium, magnesium, manga- 

 nese, sodium, potassium and silica. The ash of leaves from cultivated 

 plants usually averages higher than that obtained from wild plants. 

 (Rogers and Newcomb, Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1918, 90, p. 239.) 



Determination of the Chemical Value of Digitalis. TSCHIRCH 

 AND WOLTER (Schweiz. Apoth Zeitg., 1918, 56, 470, 495, 512), 

 have experimented with four species of digitalis leaves. Their 

 results show that the best methods of extraction is that of Reed- 

 Vanderkleed but that it requires much time, six days. For solvents 

 they used ether, acetic ether, absolute alcohol, amyl alcohol, benzene, 

 carbon tetra-chloride, chloroform, and acetone. Chloroform dis- 

 solves only part of the active substances contained in the drug; with 

 absolute alcohol all of the active substances pass into the extract; 

 benzene does, not dissolve all of them; acetone is the best solvent for 

 determining the chemical value of digitalis. The authors employed 

 a modified method of Keller, the leaves of the digitalis being first 

 subjected for extraction by ether in order to remove the oils and 

 chlorophyl. After removing the ether by distillation, the leaves 

 were extracted with absolute alcohol. After purification with lead, 

 the entire glucosides were isolated by acetone, the acetone being 

 separated from the liquid by the addition of sodium chloride. In 

 this manner they obtained a complete exhaustion of the drug and the 

 extract thus obtained has been called pandigiton and is said to pos- 

 sess all the physiological properties of digitalis. 



