CRUDE DRUGS. 607 



EcGONiNE crystallizes in monoclinic prisms, which are slightly 

 bitter, readily soluble in water and sparingly soluble in alcohol. 

 CiNNAMYL COCAINE is found in commercial cocaine and occurs 

 in rosettes of needle-shaped crystals which are nearly insoluble 

 in water, soluble in alcohol and on hydrolysis yield cinnamic 

 acid, methyl alcohol and ecgonine. a-TRuxiLLiNE (cocamine) is 

 a bitter alkaloid which occurs either in an amorphous form or in 

 large crystals and yields on hydrolysis truxillic acid, methyl alco- 

 hol and ecgonine. Truxilline occurs sometimes to the extent of 

 0.5 per cent, in Peruvian (Truxillo) leaves. Cocaine is found 

 in the seeds and roots as well as in the leaves. The leaves contain 

 a small amount of methyl salicylate. 



It has been shown that young coca leaves contain 2.02 per cent, 

 of total alkaloids, or more than twice as much as the older leaves, 

 while the amount of ash yielded by them is slightly less, being 

 6.4 per cent. The constituents of Ceylon Coca resemble those of 

 the Java variety. 



. SENNA.— SENNA LEAVES.— The leaflets of various spe- 

 cies of Cassia (Fam. Leguminosse), small shrubs indigenous to 

 Upper Egypt and Southern Arabia. There are two important 

 commercial varieties: (i) Alexandrian Senna, derived from 

 wild plants (Fig. 262) of Cassia acutifolia, a small shrub growing 

 in the region of the Nile River from Assouan to Kordofan (p. 

 292), and exported by way of Alexandria and Red Sea ports; 

 (2) Indian or Tinnivelly Senna, derived from cultivated plants 

 of Cassia angustifolia, growing on the East African coast, in 

 Arabia and Northwestern India, and cultivated in Southern 

 India (p. 292). The leaves are carefully collected and dried, the 

 Tinnivelly variety being more largely used, although the Alex- 

 andrian is more highly esteemed. 



Alexandrian SENNA.-^Lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; 1.5 

 to 3 cm. long, 5 to 8 mm. broad (Fig. 262, F) '; apex acute, 

 mucronate ; base unequal, acute ; margin entire ; upper surface 

 pale green, nearly glabrous, midrib sometimes depressed, veins of 

 first order more or less prominent, under surface light grayish- 

 green, midrib prominent, minutely pubescent, especially near the 

 veins ; petiolule about i mm. long ; texture coriaceous, fibrous ; 

 odor slight ; taste somev/hat bitter. 



