VIII, B, 6 



DuMez: Oleoresin of Aspidmm 



537 



The index of refraction of castor oil is that given by Lewko- 

 witsch.'" 



The fixed oil of fern was obtained as follows: The extract 

 was treated with 5 volumes of a 2 per cent solution of sodium 

 carbonate, and the fatty oil shaken out of the mixture with 

 several portions of petroleum ether. The petroleum-ether so- 

 lution was washed with distilled water in a separator, the 

 aqueous layer drawn off, and a small quantity of animal charcoal 

 added to the remaining solution. The mixture was filtered into 

 a tarred porcelain dish and evaporated to constant weight on a 

 water bath. 



Table XIII. 



Oil. 



Color. 



Specific grav- 

 ity, 25°. 



Refractive index, 

 15°. 



Oil of male fern 



Brownish yellow 



Pale yellow 



0.921 

 0.945 to 0.965 



1.4773 

 1. 4795 to 1. 4803 



Castor oil 







Table XIV. 



Solubility in — 



2 volumes of petroleum ether. 



3 volumes of 90 per cent alcohol. 



1 volume of glacial 

 acetic acid. 



Soluble 



Insoluble Insoluble. | 



Soluble Soluble. 1 



Insoluble 







1 



Table XV. 



Oil. 



Iodine 

 value. 



Saponiii- ' 

 cation 

 value. 



Oil of male fern . ... . ... .. 



a 118. 19 



b86to89 



197. 61 

 179-180 



Castor oil . . 





Four hours. 



*> Eight hours. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 



The fact that the present methods of assaying the extract of 

 male fern do not give results which indicate its therapeutic 

 value has already been brought to notice. Neither can the prop- 

 erties of the extract tabulated in this paper be used as factors 

 for indicating the degree of activity. They can only serve the 

 physician and pharmacist in so far as they afford a means of 



" Chemical Analysis of Oils, Fats and Waxes. Macmillan & Co., N. 

 Y. (1898), 423. 

 122778 9 



