876 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 5, 1870. 
to yield chrysammic acid by treatment with nitric acid, 
and is therefore related in some way to the soluble part 
of aloes; but this is a point upon which nothing is 
known at present. 
IV. There can be no doubt that the “ aloesic acid,” 
supposed to be present in aloes, has no existence. The 
reaction with iron salts, ascribed to it is due to the crys- 
tallizable aloin, and the acidity to test-paper presented 
by an infusion of aloes is a property of the half-oxidized 
substance contained in the uncrystallizable “ aloetin.” 
V. In addition to those bodies, there is in all aloes a 
small but notable proportion of vegetable albumen. It 
is left when either kind is exhausted with rectified spirit. 
Its presence probably promotes the change to which 
solutions of aloes are always subject. 
Pure aloin, then, in pure solutions, is liable only to 
very tardy alteration. Exposed to the air, it gradually 
absorbs oxygen, and the solution deepens in colour; but 
the change which is thus slow under such circumstances, 
is very rapid indeed if a small quantity of any alkali is 
introduced. The solution then becomes in a few hours 
of a deep brown colour; and after the lapse of three or 
four days, if the air be admitted, the aloin entirely dis¬ 
appears, and is transformed into a substance, or mixture 
of substances, which no longer possesses any bitterness, 
but is perfectly insipid. An experiment was made by 
dissolving pure aloin in water with an equal weight of 
carbonate of potassium ; the solution, left in an imper¬ 
fectly closed flask for about a week, entirely lost its 
bitter taste. Nitrate of barium was added to remove the 
carbonate, and the filtered liquid mixed with acetate of 
lead. The result was a dirty greenish precipitate, which 
was removed and basic acetate of lead added. This gave 
a bright orange precipitate, which was collected and 
analysed. Its composition, compared with that of aloin, 
is shown by the subjoined numbers :— 
Yellow Precipitate. 
C .... 14-30 
H_ 1-40 
0 .... 25 71 
Pb .. 58-59 
Aloin 
(Stenhouse). 
C .... 60-67 
H.... 5"65 
O.... 33-68 
100-00 
out fresh and intensely bitter. I know an instance of a 
chemist who nearly lost a valuable customer in the fol¬ 
lowing way. He had been in the habit of dispensing a 
3 xij mixture, containing 5yj vini aloes. When he first 
prepared it he had a pint of the vin. aloes in stock, which 
probably had been made five or six years, and had not 
the slightest taste of aloes in it, but it pleased the patient. 
At length the stock was exhausted, and the mixture pre¬ 
pared with a fresh supply of vin. aloes recently prepared. 
The patient could hardly be convinced that a mistake 
had not been made; and it was found that 5ss of the re¬ 
cently-prepared vin. aloes imparted more bitterness to 
the §xij mixture than the whole 5yj of the old. I have 
tasted samples of dec. aloes comp, concent. 1 to 3, almost 
devoid of bitterness ; and a maker of that article informs 
me that it is a most unsatisfactory preparation.” 
The active constituent of aloes is still unknown. That 
the purgative property is not due to aloin was first shown 
by Robiquet, and is proved, I think, by the fact of its 
complete disuse after a very short trial. Mr. Young 
says that he has not noticed any variation of power in 
the specimens of different degrees of bitterness which 
he has tried; but, on the other hand, I have myself 
taken large doses of the oxidized alkaline solution of 
aloin, or of extract of aloes, without perceiving the 
slightest effect. 
There is in Druitt’s ‘Surgeon’s Yade Mecum’ a pre¬ 
scription which, I am informed by the author, is the 
most active form in which any kind of aloes can be ad¬ 
ministered. Barbadoes aloes is made into a mass with 
strong sulphuric acid, and in that state roll ed out into 
pills. Dispensing difficulties may have stood in the way 
of the more extensive employment of this form, but if it 
bears out the character attributed to it, it would seem 
that a half oxidized condition of the aloes is the most 
advantageous. 
The questions which still remain to be solved with re¬ 
ference to aloes are numerous. Amongst others, two very 
important points seem to me to require examination. 
These are the nature and properties of the resinoid 
matter, and the cause of the differences between the seve¬ 
ral varieties of this important drug known to commerce. 
100-00 
From which it appears that whilst in aloin the carbon 
stands to the oxygen nearly as 1 to 4, in the oxidized sub¬ 
stance it is, roughly speaking, in the proportion of 1 to 2. 
Some extract of Socotrine aloes was boiled with car¬ 
bonate of potash and water, in the proportion directed 
for the preparation of compound decoction of aloes, the 
remaining ingredients being omitted. Keeping this 
solution in the way described, it also became tasteless 
and gave the same reactions. 
Mr. William Young, pharmaceutical chemist, pro¬ 
posed the question which stands in the Conference list, 
and I am indebted to him for the specimens upon the 
table, and also for his permission to quote from a letter 
with which he has favoured me. 
He says, “ For more than ten years I have observed 
that decoct, aloes co. loses its bitterness on keeping, but 
I cannot say that it loses its aperient property. I have 
frequently taken a fluid ounce of various degrees of bit¬ 
terness, and have, always found it produce the desired 
effect. But this is a matter which does not affect the 
pharmaceutist so much as the fact that the public cannot 
be persuaded that a medicine which is not uniform in 
taste- is rightly prepared. I venture to assert that if a 
customer were to purchase successively at one establish¬ 
ment four ounces of decoct, aloes co. weekly, and each 
sample being a week older than the one immediately 
preceding, no two. samples would be alike. Of course if, 
as I understand is the custom in some large establish¬ 
ments, a large quantity is prepared and kept some weeks 
before use, a greater uniformity would be arrived at; 
but that puts the small tradesman at a great disadvan¬ 
tage, who perhaps prepares a pint at a tune, and sends it 
The President said that the question discussed in 
Mr. Tilden’s paper had very great interest, and he felt 
surprised at the extent of the change which had been 
found to occur. 
fitrlianieutejr mh fato fmaimtjjs. 
A correspondent has forwarded to us a paragraph from 
the Sherborne Journal , in which it is stated that Joseph 
Grassby alias Gardiner, a chemist’s assistant, was con¬ 
victed at the late sessions of a robbery from Mr. Mason, 
of Weymouth, and sentenced to seven years’ penal ser¬ 
vitude. There were, besides, three other indictments 
hanging over him. The prisoner is well known in the 
trade, having held situations in many parts of the coun¬ 
try, most of which he lost through dishonesty. 
Another breach in the still narrowing circle of the 
original pharmaceutical body has occurred by the re¬ 
moval of Mr. Charles Wright, of Manchester. Those 
who were most intimately acquainted with the deceased 
gentleman have reason to remember his kind and liberal 
conduct, affording every facility for study, lectuies, etc. 
For several years past, increasing infirmities have 
prevented Mr. Wright taking an active part in business. 
His death was accelerated by a severe attack of bron¬ 
chitis, the complaint which had troubled him much 
during the latter part of his life. He.died last month at 
his country residence, Fairfields, aged 7 0 years, sincerely 
beloved and regretted by many friends. R. G. M. 
