SEMEN KALADAN^. 449 



out the tissue of the cotyledons, are about 70 nikm. in diameter, and 

 contain an oily liquid. 



Chemical Composition — By exhausting the seeds dried at 100° C. 

 with boiling ether, we obtained a thick light-brownish oil having an 

 acrid taste and concreting below 1(S' C. The powdered seeds yielded 

 of this oil 14'4 per cent. Water removes from the seeds a considerable 

 amount of mucilage, some albuminous matter and a little tannic acid. 

 The first is soluble to some extent in dilute spirit of wine, and may be 

 precipitated therefrom by an alcoholic solution of acetate of lead. 



The active principle of kaladana is a resin, soluble in alcohol, but 

 neither in benzol nor in ether. From the residue of the seeds after 

 exhaustion by ether, treatment with absolute alcohol removed a pale 

 yellowish resin in quantity equivalent to 82 per cent, of the seed. 



Kaladana resin, which has been introduced into medical practice in 

 India under the name of Pharhiti»in} has a nauseous acrid taste and an 

 unpleasant odour, especially when heated. It melts about 1 60° C The 

 following liquids dissolve it more or less freely, namely, spirit of wine, 

 absolute alcohol, acetic acid, glacial acetic acid, acetone, acetic ether, 

 methylic and amylic alcohol, and alkaline solutions. It is on the other 

 hand insoluble in ether, benzol, chloroform, and sulphide of carbon. 

 With concentrated sulphviric acid, it forms a brownish yellow solution, 

 quickly assuming a violet hue. This reaction however requires a very 

 small quantity of the powdered resin. If a solution of the resin in 

 ammonia, after having been kept a short time, is acidulated, no precipi- 

 tate is formed ; but the solution is now capable of separating protoxide 

 of copper from an alkaline solution of the tartrate, which originally it 

 did not alter. Heated with nitric acid, the resin affords sebacic acid 

 (see p. 446). 



From these reactions of kaladana resin, we are entitled to infer that 

 it agrees with the resin of jalap or Convolvulin. To prepare it in 

 quantity, it would probably be best to treat the seeds with common 

 acetic acid, and to precipitate it by neutralizing the solution. We have 

 ascertained that the resin is not decomposed when digested with glacial 

 acetic acid at 100' C, even for a week. 



We have had the opportunity of examining a sample of kaladana 

 resin manufactured by Messrs. Rogers and Co., chemists of Bombay and 

 Poona, which we found to agree with that prepared by ourselves. It 

 is a light yellowish friable mass, resembling purified jalap resin, and 

 like it, capable of being perfectly decolorized by treatment with animal 

 charcoal. 



Uses — Kaladana seeds have cathartic powers like jalap. Besides 

 the resin, an extract, tincture and compound powder have been in- 

 troduced into the PhcD-macopwia of India. In many parts of India 

 the natives take the roasted seeds as a purgative. 



^ Pharmacopceia of India, 1868, 156. 



2f 



