536 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



1913 



Table XII. 



Sample 

 No. 



Crude fili- 

 cin. 



Iodine 

 value. 



Saponifica- 

 tion value. 



Ash. 



Adulterant. 





Per cent. 







Per cent. 





1 



20.77 



101.5 



240.5 



0.49 



Chlorophyll. 



2 



20.32 



100.2 



225.5 



.47 





3 



17.61 



98.3 



208.7 



.42 



Castor oil. 



4 



16.55 



97.1 



214.6 



.48 





5 



14.36 



94.4 



206.7 



.47 



A, spintUo- 

 sum. 



C 



8.79 



89.4 



202.4 



.27 



Castor oil. 



7 



0.93 



85.8 



195.7 



.18 



Do. 



8 



.59 



87.2 



200.3 



.37 





An inspection of the above tables indicates the use of old 

 brown rhizomes in the preparation of the extracts. This is 

 especially prominent in the color and refractive indices. Further 

 evidence of this is found in the color of the ethereal solution of 

 the crude filicin obtained in the filicin assay. All of the above 

 extracts yielded a product which dissolved in ether with a color 

 varying from light brown to dark reddish brown. The color of 

 the ethereal solution of filicin obtained from fresh green rhizo- 

 mes, although varying somewhat, was not of a darker shade than 

 orange. 



Extract 1 contained a considerable quantity of chlorophyll. 

 Because of the fact that chlorophyll is a natural constituent of 

 the extract and that there is no satisfactory method for its quan- 

 titative estimation, a determination of the amount present was 

 not attempted. Its presence in undue quantity was based on 

 the deep green of the preparation and the green color imparted 

 to alcohol when shaken with a portion of the sample. 



Extracts 3, 6, and 7 contained 30, 54, and 62 per cent of 

 castor oil, respectively. This fact is indicated by the refractive 

 index, the specific gravity, the iodine and saponification values, 

 and the ash content. 



Another fact of interest to be noted in the above tables is that 

 the iodine and saponification values vary in the same direction 

 as the filicin content. The one exception to this is found in 

 sample 8. Upon an examination, however, of the physical and 

 chemical properties of the fixed oil of male fern and those of 

 castor oil, the apparent irregularity is readily accounted for. 

 Tables XIII, XIV, and XV show constants of the fixed oil of 

 fern separated from an extract prepared in the laboratory and 

 of castor oil as specified in the United States Pharmacopoeia.^- 



U. S. P., 8 Rev. (1905), 321. 



