N. 0. EUPHOBBIACEdS. 
1167 
base narrowed acute obtuse ; Basal nerves 3, midrib penninerved. 
Petiole l-3in. Flowers small, dioecious in terminal often 
panicled brown brick-red stiff spikes. Calyx 3-cleft. Petals 
distinct, and globose. Female flowers solitary. Ovary 3-celled. 
Cells 1-ovuled. Styles 3, papillose inside. Fruit 3-lobed, Cap- 
sules loculicidally 3-valved i-Jin. diam., densely covered witli 
a bright red or crimson powder when ripe. “ The bright red or 
crimson powder consists of resin mixed with stellate hairs. 
(Brandis). Seeds globose, smooth, black. 
Uses : — The powder prepared from the tricoccous fruit is 
used as an anthelmintic, vermifuge and purgative medicine. 
It is also said to possess cathartic properties. 
Rottlerin, 0 1 ,H lo O3, the principal constituent of Kamala, crystallises in 
thin, salmon-coloured plates melting at 19l-19t'5“. When heated with caustic 
potash at 150°, it yields benzoic acid, acetic acid, aud an amorphous sub- 
stance, and when oxidised by means of hydrogen peroxide in alkaline solution 
the same compounds are obtained. On treatment with cold nitric acid 
(sp. gr. 1*6), rottlerin yields, besides oxalic acid, two new acids melting at 
282“ and 226,° and having respectively the formulae C,, H lt 0 9 , and C l7 H, ( O s . 
These are readily separated by recrystallisation from alcohol. Boiling nitric 
acid of sp. gr. 1*5 decomposes rottlerin, forming oxalic acid and a bibasic 
acid of the formula C, 8 H 10 0 9 , melting at 232", and yielding a crystalline 
silver salt, 0 13 H a 0 9 Ag 2 . When heated with acetic anhydride, rottlerin 
yields a diacetyl derivative of the formula C„ H a 0 3 (C 2 H 3 0 2 ). The mole- 
cular weight of rottlerin has not yet been satisfactorily determined, but pro- 
bably about 485. 
The resin of low melting point agrees with the formula C, 2 H 12 O s . 
It resembles rottlerin, from which its formula differs by CH 2 . 
The yellow crystalline colouring matter obtained in the first extractions 
of Kamala with carbon bisulphide is closely allied to rottlerin. It forms a 
beautiful, glistening mass of yellow needles, and melts at 192-193°. 
The wax extracted gave as a mean C=79 - 70 p.c., H— 12'8G p.c., agree- 
ing with the formula C 28 H 52 0 2 . This wax is a colourless, apparently crystal- 
line mass melting at 82°. 
Irorottlerin C 12 H 12 O s , crystallises in groups of minute plates melting 
at 198 198", and in its appearance greatly resembles rottlerin, from which, 
however, it is readily distinguished by being practically insoluble in carbon 
bisulphide, chloroform, and benzene, whereas rottlerin is comparatively 
soluble in these liquids. . 
The resin of high melting point is a pale yellow, amorphous substance 
of the formula C IS H, 2 O*. closely allied to rottlerin in many of its properties, 
and which also yields the acid of the formula C l3 H I0 O a when boiled with 
nitric acid of sp. gr. 1'5. 
