THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 27, 1672. 
Gi 
numerous details, the preparation of atropine from 
the aqueous extract of the leaves is as quickly and 
easily performed as when the root is used. It is 
necessary, however, in order to facilitate the solu¬ 
tion by the ether of the atropine set free by the 
caustic potash, that the extract should he of the 
consistence of syrup, that is, sufficiently concen¬ 
trated to run slowly. If there he too much water 
present, although the ether will dissolve the atropine 
which is midis solved, yet since that organic base 
is soluble also in water, there will arrive a time when 
placed between two liquids, having over it the same 
solvent power, it will resist them equally, and a much 
larger quantity of ether will he required to remove 
it from its aqueous solution. For this reason caustic 
potash is employed, since, neither the neutral car¬ 
bonate or the bicarbonate of potash would decom- , 
pose all the tartrate of atropine if the extract were 
too concentrated. 
Alcohol is doubtless the best solvent of all the 
salts of organic alkalis contained in plants, since it 
has no action upon the starch, albumen, gum, sugar, I 
etc., while water to a certain extent dissolves them. | 
But the author thinks that the substitution of the 
aqueous decoction for the alcoholic maceration, will 
allow of a much more economical manufacture of 
atropine, from the smaller quantity of spirit used; 
only about a litre being required for a kilogram of 
leaves, the whole of which is recovered by distilla- | 
tion, as also is the ether used for washing the 
alcoholic extract. — Journal de Pharma tie et dc 
Chimie, [4] vol. xv. p. 417. 
COTTON ROOT. 
BY PHOEESSOR E. S. WAYNE. 
The root of the cotton plant (Gossypium herbaceum) 
has for some time past been accredited with possessing 
the properties of an emmenagogue, parturient and abor¬ 
tive, and said to promote uterine contractions with as 
much efficiency and more safety than ergot. 
As yet no analysis has been made of the root to deter¬ 
mine its proximate principles, and to ascertain whether 
it contains any of the principles foand in ergot, such as 
propylamin, or alkaloids such as ergotina and ecbolia, 
found in that substance by Wenzell. 
The fluid extract of cotton root is a preparation largely 
used in the Western States of America, and highly 
spoken of as above by some practitioners. It is very 
prone to deposit a. peculiar red precipitate a short time 
aftor it is made; and the frequent complaints made 
respecting this has induced me to make some investiga¬ 
tions as to the cause and nature of the deposit, and, at 
the same time, of some of the proximate principles exist¬ 
ing in the root, or, more properly speaking, of the bark 
of the root. 
For this purpose one pound of the root bark, in suit¬ 
able powder, was exhausted with alcohol of 76° ; the re- 
su ting percolate was of a pale amber colour. This was 
disfrilled to separate any resin present in it. After dis¬ 
tilling off the alcohol, there was left in the still a dark 
red aqueous solution of extractive, etc., and a dark red 
resinous mass. 
The resinous mass was removed and reduced to a 
coarse powder, and washed with water as long as any¬ 
thing was taken up by it, then dried and reduced to a 
powder. It then resembled very much in appearance 
powdered cochineal. 
The change that had taken place in the colour of the 
original percolate by the action of heat during the distil- 
lation, was a matter of much surprise to me ; the result¬ 
ing aqueous solution and separated resin being so differ¬ 
ent in colour to that of the original percolate, from a 
pale amber colour to a dark red, resembling in appear¬ 
ance that of a solution of kino. 
The red resin obtained from one pound avoirdupois of 
hark weighed 210 grains. 
Upon examination of the dark resinous mass, it was 
found to he insoluble in the following menstrua: alcohol, 
chloroform, ether, aqua ammonia}. It was soluble in solu¬ 
tions of caustic potassa and soda ; the solution, a dark 
purplish-red colour being precipitated unchanged on the 
neutralization of the alkali by acids. 
A portion of the precipitate that deposited by standing 
in the fluid extract of cotton root was filtered off, washed 
and dried, and submitted to the action of the same sol¬ 
vents as the resin mentioned, and with like results. 
The watery solution left in the still was, as mentioned, 
also of a dark red colour, and gave the following preci¬ 
pitates with solutions of metallic salts. With mercuric 
chloride,red; with argentic nitrate, purplish red; with 
plumbic acetate, purplish-red, and with ferric sulphate, 
purplish-black. 
The remaining portion, after making the above tests, 
was precipitated with plumbic acetate, which precipi¬ 
tated the red colouring matter, and left it of a light 
yellow colour; then treated with sulphydric acid to re¬ 
move excess of lead, and, after filtration to remove the 
sulphide of lead, was evaporated to dryness in a water 
bath. The extract mass left was of a light yellow colour, 
and exceedingly hygroscopic. A portion of it was dis¬ 
solved in water, and tested for the presence of an al¬ 
kaloid with solution of iodohydrargyrate of potassium, 
but gaA r e no indications of the presence of any. 
With Trommer’s copper test, it gave an abundant pre¬ 
cipitate of cuprous oxide, indicating the presence of sugar. 
A portion was also agitated with ether, and another 
with chloroform, and, after separation had taken place, 
the ethereal and chloroform solutions separated and left 
to spontaneous evaporation, no crystallizable proximate 
principles were separated. To a quantity of the pow¬ 
dered bark was added a solution of caustic potassa; 
there was no development of propylamin, as with ergot. 
From the above experiments, it would seem that cotton 
root bark contains no substances similar to those of 
ergot, upon which its therapeutic value rests, nor any 
other peculiar alkaloid or proximate principle except the 
red resinous mass spoken of, or a substance colourless as 
in the original percolate, and by oxidation changing to 
this red substance. This red matter seems to be a pecu¬ 
liar one—an acid resin, insoluble in alcohol, chloroform 
and ether, forming coloured precipitates with metallic 
salts, and soluble in solutions of caustic potassa and soda. 
The red colour of the watery solution described is also 
due to this, being held in solution through the solvent 
action of organic matter present, as is often the case in 
such solutions, and sometimes with difficulty got rid of. 
The substance that produces this red-coloured acid 
resin, seems to exist in all parts of the plant—in the 
flowers and in the seeds—the purplish tint at the base 
of the petals is due to it, and in the seeds the dark red 
spots there found. It is this which gives to crude cotton¬ 
seed oil its dark colour, and it is removed in the process 
of refining the oil by the solvent action of caustic alkalies. 
From the solubility of this substance in alkalies, and 
forming well-marked and characteristic precipitates with 
metallic solutions, it has claims to be classed an acid, 
and I would propose for it the name of gossypic acid. 
Having satisfied myself as to the nature of the sub¬ 
stance that composes the precipitate in the fluid extract 
of cotton root, and the identity of the precipitate with 
the resinous mass that was left in the still, as mentioned, 
I would say that it is impossible to prevent the same 
from forming in it, as it is caused by a chemical change 
taking place in a peculiar proximate principle in the 
plant, insoluble in the alcoholic menstruum. 
Whether the addition of gl} r cerine or sugar would pre¬ 
vent this, I have not determined, and will report experi¬ 
ment at some future time. 
