N. 0. C0NV0LVULA0E®. 
883 
water, and taken with the addition of rock salt and ginger or 
sugar and black pepper. Roxburgh wrote in his Flora Indian 
of this drug that “ the bark of the root is by natives employed 
as a purgative, for which they use it fresh, rubbed up with milk. 
About 6 inches in length of a root, as thick as the little finger, 
they reckon a common dose.” 
Mr. T. N. Mukharji suggests that the uncertain action of the 
drug, purchased from the bazar, may be due to the admixture of 
the roots of Ipomcca bona-nox. The two roots, when dry, cannot 
be easily distinguished from each other. The plants, however, 
though resembling each other, can be easily 7 ' identified. I. bona ■ 
nox has a round stem, while that of I. Turpethum is ribbed. The 
flowers and seeds of I. bona-nox are also larger than those of I. 
Turpethum. 
Turpethin, 0 7(J H na 0 36 , the glncoside of the roots of l pomcca turpctham, 
is an amorphous, yellow powder, colourless, in thin layers, and melts at 146 - 8° 
(eorr); it has a rotatory power of— 30" 14°, and is sparingly soluble in chloroform, 
soluble in alcohol and acetic acid. When treated with alkalis, it yields 
turpelliic acid, a yellow, hygroscopic mass. By oxidation with nitric acid, 
turpethin yields oxalic, isobutyric, and sebacic acids and carbonic anhydride, 
whilst potassium permanganate oxidises it to oxalic, isobutyric, and turpe- 
tholic acids. When hydrolysod with mineral acids, it yields isobutyric acid 
(1 mol.), turpethole, C l6 H 30 O (? C 16 H 30 0) 3 , a substance forming feathery, 
interlaced crystals and melting at 85-76° (1 mol), glucose (8 mols.), and 
a viscid, liquid acid, which was not isolated, but gave a silver salt, 0 15 
Hjt 0 5 Ag, 
Turpetholic acid, C l5 H 33 0 4 is obtained, as mentioned, and also by the 
action of alkalis or their carbonates on turpethole. It forms a hard, white, 
crystalline mass, melts at_88-4°, and is soluble in alcohol, sparingly soluble in 
ether; turpethole seems to be the anhydride of turpetholic acid,— J. Ch. S. 
1898, A. I. 424. 
Turpethin is identical with jalapin in percentage composition ; when 
treated with baryta water, turpethic acid is formed, which is colourless and 
not volatile with steam.— J. Ch. S. 1896, A. I. 38. 
The rhizome contains a glucosidal resin, named turpethein, soluble in 
pure ether. This is separable by light petroleums spirit into a soluble 
glucoside, a— turpethein, and a sparingly soluble body, b— turpethein. a— 
Turpethein is soluble in baryta water, and yields, when hydrolysed, the 
non-volatile fatty hydroxy-acid, C, s H 3 , 0 3 , identical or isomeric with jalap- 
pinlo ipomeolie, and tampicolic acids. It also yields a volatile fatty acid of 
C s series, probably one of the valeric acids. The sugar formed is rhamnose. 
b — Turpethein, when hydrolysed, gives a non-volatile, higher fatty acid, 
rhodeose, and dextrose.— [.I Ch. 1. May 31, 1907, p. 550]. 
