126 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
(libiou, separates from most of the usual organic solvents in glistening leaflets 
(m. pt. 68°C, b. pt. 247°-248°) 20 mm., [<i]d= + 56° has the formula C ia H 32 O lt 
and is designated chaulmoogric acid. It combines with only two atomic pro- 
portions of bromine or iodine. Palmitie acid also was identified, and there 
is reason for assuming the presence of a near homologue or homologues of 
chaulmoogric acid, but belonging to the series having the general formula 
C,tH jre - 4 0 2 , with two ethylemic linkings. Bndecylic acid and hydroxy acids 
were proved to be absent, and an individual acid corresponding to hypogmic 
acid, could not be isolated. The “ gynocardic acid ” of all previous investi- 
gators is believed to be a mixture of several substances. T he “ presscake ” 
yielded, besides formic and acetic acids and a very small amount of volatile 
esters having the characteristic odor of the seeds, an appreciable amount of 
a neutral oily substance, C ia H 31 0 2 (b. pt. 214° — 215° 18 mm. ; sp. gr„ 0-9066 at 
16716° C., [u]d= +42-4°) which is isomeric with chaulmoogric acid. 
Mr. P. C. Chattopaddbyaya lias analysed the seed and pub- 
lished his results in the American Journal of Pharmacy for 
1915 pp. 473-483 of which the following is the Summary. 
A SAMPLE of cold drawn oil from genuine seeds of Taraktagenos Kurzii 
Okrue chaulmoogra seeds! and an oil derived from supposedly genuine, but 
probably mixed seeds, by hot expression, were examined. The former was 
a pale yellow oil and remained liquid at 15°C., whilst the latter was a 
brownish yellow buttery substance which was separated by filtration into 
about equal parts of a clear oil and a solid fat (chaulmoogra fat) before 
analysis. The following values wore obtained : — 
