1024 DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPJDUS. 



Root. 



Some fresh roots from plants grown in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden were grated 

 and partially dried at from 100° to 103° F. The water lost was found to represent 33'34 

 per cent, of the weight. 119T2 grains of this incompletely dried root yielded 65 grains 

 of dark reddish-brown alcohol extract, representing 5 '457 per cent. 



Further analysis of this extract gave the following results — 



Analysis No. 48. 



Sixty-five grains alcohol extract yielded — 



Ethyl ether extract, 8*6 grains = 13*23 per cent, of alcohol extract, or 0722 per cent, of dried root. 

 Alcohol extract, 56*12 grains = 86*34 „ ,, 4*712 „ „ 



The ether extract was of a reddish-brown colour, and it had a peculiar aromatic odour, 

 and an acrid and slightly bitter taste. The alcohol extract was reddish-brown, acid and 

 amorphous, and it had a distinctly bitter taste. A small quantity dissolved in water was 

 tested with the following results : — -Tri-bromide of potassium produced a slight haze, which 

 afterwards subsided as a yellowish -brown precipitate, leaving a nearly colourless super- 

 natant fluid ; tannic acid produced a slight precipitate ; ferric chloride, a slight haze, 

 becoming a brown precipitate ; and phospho-molybdic acid and potash, a blue colour : but 

 no important ehange occurred with potassio -mercuric chloride, tri-iodide of potassium, 

 platinic chloride, mercuric chloride, potassio -bismuthic iodide, chloride of gold, or picric 

 acid. 



Analysis No. 49. 



The 56*12 grains of alcohol extract yielded on further examination — 



Impure strophanthin, 13*26 grains = 23*627 per cent, of alcohol extract, or 1*113 per cent, of dried root. 

 Mucilage, 40* grains = 71*22 „ „ 3*35 „ „ 



Resin, 2*7 grains = 4*81 „ „ 0*226 „ „ 



The impure strophanthin was bitter, but it obviously contained much impurity, being 

 brown in colour, and very difficult to dry, even in vacuo, over sulphuric acid. It, however, 

 gave the pharmacological, and less distinctly the chemical, reactions of strophanthin. 



When examined for glucose, so large a quantity as 41*8 per cent, was found to be 

 present; so that in the 13'26 grains of this very impure strophanthin there were 5'55 

 grains of glucose, and only 871 grains (or 6 5 '6 8 per cent.) of impure strophanthin. 



Stated otherwise, from 65 grains of alcohol extract (Analysis No. 48) there were 

 obtained — 



Impure strophanthin, 8*71 grains = 13*4 per cent, of alcohol extract, or 0*731 per cent, of dried root. 

 Glucose, 5*5 grains = 8*54 ,, „ 0*46 ,, „ 



The foregoing account of an examination of various parts of the Strophantus hispidus 

 plant has shown that strophanthin is present in many other parts besides the seeds, as, 



