THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [October 29, 1870. 
344 
one molecule of it will therefore require two molecules 
of hydrate of sodium for neutralization,— 
98 40x2=80 
H 2 S0 4 + 2NaHO = Na 2 S0 4 + 2H 2 0 
or,— 
49 40 
4-H 2 S0 4 + NaHO = iNa 2 S0 4 -f H 2 0. 
1000 c.c. of vol. sol., which contain 40 grams of 
soda, will therefore neutralize 49 grams of sulphu¬ 
ric acid; 100, therefore, neutralize one-tenth of 49, 
or 4 - 9 grams. 5'0(3 grams of the official sulphuric 
acid, which require 100 c.c. of volumetric soda, 
therefore contain this quantity of real acid. This is 
96'8 per cent., for 
5*06 : 100 as 4*9 : 96*8. 
Acidum Sulphuricum Dilutum. —35*9 grams of 
the diluted acid are neutralized by the addition of 
100 c.c. of vol. sol. of soda; this indicates 13*64 per 
cent, of H 2 S 0 4 . 
The strength of the diluted acids of the Pharma¬ 
copoeia is so arranged that six fluid drachms of any 
of them contain sufficient acid to neutralize one 
molecule in grains of an alkaline hydrate. 
f3yj Contain 
Acid. Hydrocli. Dil. 1 grain-mol. (= 36*5 gr.) HC1 
Acid. Nitric. Dil. . 1 grain-mol. (= 03 gr.) HN0 3 
Acid. Sulpli. Dil. . £ grain-mol. (= 49 gr.) H 2 S0 4 
Acid. Pliosph. Dil. . grain-mol. (= 32*6 gr.) H 3 P0 4 
Either of these quantities would neutralize 
1 grain-molecule (= 40 gr.) of NaHO 
or 1 grain-molecule (— 50 gr.) of KHO 
or 4 grain-molecule (= 53 gr.) of Na 2 C 0 3 
or | grain-molecule (= 09 gr.) of K 2 O 0 3 . 
PARICINE.* 
BY O. HESSE. 
This alkaloid was discovered by Winckler, in 1845, 
in a sample of bark brought from Park, which, according 
to Howard, had been derived from Cinchona Intea , a tree 
which is called ‘ lengua de vacca ’ (cow’s tongue) in 
Huanuco, by reason of the rough feel of its leaves. 
Weidenbusch made an analysis of the alkaloid, which 
showed that its percentage composition was very similar 
to that of aricine, and, on this ground, Gerhardt asserted 
that it was merely amorphous aricine. 
Subsequently Winckler, in studying cortex chin® 
pallidae in 1865, took up the subject again, and compared 
paricine with beberine, because the latter has also the cha¬ 
racter of being precipitated from its solutions by nitric 
acid. Winckler found that these alkaloids had the 
greatest resemblance in their chemical behaviour towards 
the reagents he employed, and he was, therefore, of 
opinion that elementary analysis would prove them to be 
identical. 
> Upon this basis Fluckiger assumes not only the iden¬ 
tity of paricine and beberine,—buxin or pelosine,—but 
also, conjectures that paricine probably exists in all kinds 
of cinchona bark. In order to separate it from the mix¬ 
ture of bases Fluckiger suggests that those bases should 
be converted into the sparingly soluble iodine compounds, 
,and the paricine extracted by ether. 
Hesse disclaims the intention of examining whether 
the method is suitable for detecting paricine or not, but 
rather, seeks to show that the alkaloid in question does 
not exist in the kinds of cinchona bark used for making 
..quinine. During the last eight years he has given at- 
* Abstract from a paper in the Reports of the Berlin 
Chemical Society, 1870, no. 5. 
tention to this matter, but has not succeeded in obaining 
the smallest trace of paricine from those kinds of bark. 
In all instances the alkaloids readily soluble in ether, 
after separating quinine and cinchonine by means of tar¬ 
taric acid, were submitted to examination by treating the 
sulphuric acid solution of these bases with concentrated 
nitric acid ; but in no single instance was there any pre¬ 
cipitation or turbidity caused thereby. |If paricine had 
been present, however, it should have been found in this 
way. 
The author adds, moreover, that paricine is not even 
identical with pelosine, since the latter, as Fluckiger has 
observed, turns light towards the right, while pelosine is, 
according to De Vry, optically inactive. 
EXAMINATION OF THE RESIN OF TAMPICO 
JALAP.* 
BY PROFESSOR H. SriRGATIS. 
The author has published the results of a preliminary 
examination of the resin contained in this drug with the 
object of comparing it with the resin of true jalap.f 
Tampico jalap resin was obtained by first extracting the 
root with water, then digesting it with alcohol, evapo¬ 
rating off the alcohol and washing the resin with water. 
A second solution in alcohol and treatment with animal 
charcoal completed the purification. The author gives 
the resin the name of Tampicin. 
This substance presents a general resemblance to con- 
volvulin. It is translucent, colourless or slightly yellow, 
brittle, without odour or taste, and readily soluble in 
alcohol or ether. Its solubility in ether distinguishes it 
from convolvulin, j as well as from jalapin, the resin of 
the Ipomeea orizabensis. It also differs from them in com¬ 
position. The alcoholic and ethereal solutions have a 
slight acid reaction. 
By the action of strong bases this resin is, like con- 
volvulin, converted with addition of the elements of 
water into an acid soluble in water,—Tampicinic acid. 
Strong acids, such as hydrochloric, nitric or sulphuric 
acids, when diluted dissolve the resin gradually, convert¬ 
ing it into sugar and a fatty acid—Tampicoleic acid. 
Concentrated sulphuric acid colours the resin yellow at 
first, then dissolves it with a fine red colour, which gra¬ 
dually becomes brown. With acetic acid this resin be¬ 
haves in the same manner as convolvulin, dissolving with¬ 
out being broken up. 
Tampicin is much more readily affected by heat than 
convolvulin. Its melting-point is about 130° C. 
Analysis of the resin elided in vacuo at 100° C. gave 
results corresponding with the formula C 3t H- 4 0 14 ; Mayer 
gives C 30 H 50 O 16 as the formula of convolvulin. 
Tampicinic acid resembles convolvulinic acid, being an 
amorphous, yellowish, shining, translucent mass without 
odour, and having a rankish, bitter taste. It is hygro¬ 
scopic, readily soluble in water and alcohol; the solu¬ 
tion has an acid reaction, and expels carbonic acid from 
the alkaline carbonates. It is scarcely soluble in ether. 
This acid is precipitated only by acetate of lead and 
chloride of mercury. Dried at 90° C. in vacuo and ana¬ 
lysed, it gave results indicating the formula C 34 H 60 Oi 7 ; 
Mayer gives O 31 H, 0 O 16 + 1|H 2 0. 
Tampicoleic acid is white and crystalline, with a sharp 
taste, without smell, readily soluble in alcohol, sparingly 
in ether, both solutions having a distinct acid reaction. 
When heated it melts to a yellowish, oily liquid that 
solidifies on cooling to a hard, white, radiated mass. The 
* Read before the Royal Bavarian Academy of Sciences, 
2nd July, 1870. 
f Kayser, Ann. Ckem. Pliarm. li. 81, and W. Mayer, ibid. 
lxxxiii. 121, xcv. 129. 
4 Sometimes this drug appears to be mixed with the tu¬ 
bercles of other Convolvulace®, perhaps those of true jalap. 
One sample of Tampico jalap yielded a resin only in part 
soluble in ether. 
