Tebruary 17, 1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
667 
Lay than in either of the other Presidencies; the ex¬ 
pressed juice from the red variety being considered the 
strongest and most fatal. The most common medium 
for administering it is coffee, probably in order to con¬ 
ceal its hitter taste. 
As you are well aware, the lower animals seldom 
graze on plants which ax-e hurtful to them, hut the 
•oleander forms an exception to this rule in the case of 
the camel, which readily partakes of it, and almost 
always with a fatal result. Perhaps the most interesting 
observation in connection with oleander poisoning is the 
occurrence of tetanic spasms, very similar to those noticed 
in poisoning by strychnia. (Bear in mind that the two 
Natural Orders are very nearly allied.) There is, how¬ 
ever, a marked difference between the morbid effects of 
oleander and those of strychnia, viz. in the condition of 
the pulse. In strychnia poisoning the pulse is usually 
unaffected (becoming slightly quickened only during 
each fit), whereas in oleander poisoning a preternatural 
slowness of the pulse is a well-marked feature. Besides 
its action on the nervous system, therefore, the poisonous 
principle of oleander seems to have a special depressing 
influence on the heart. 
Gentlemen, I very much fear that the length of this 
paper has already called forth in you that state of lethargy 
and exhaustion which we have seen to result from over¬ 
doses of datura and gungah. Under these circum¬ 
stances you must allow me to administer an antidote, 
and which I propose to do by bringing these very im¬ 
perfect remarks of mine to a close. I had hoped to have 
Been able to overtake, if only a very brief, reference to 
•each of the four divisions of Indian poisons which I have 
placed on the board, but want of time compels me to 
leave the fourth class unnoticed. I have already taxed 
your patience far too much ; and I have only, in conclu¬ 
sion, to thank you very sincerely for the kindness and 
attention with which you have favoured me this evening. 
SENEKA. 
BY R. BOTHER. 
Polygalic acid, the active agent of seneka root, is in¬ 
variably accompanied by another peculiar body, termed 
virgineic acid. When seneka root is treated with water, 
the polygalic acid alone dissolves. But when alcohol is 
■employed as the solvent, both the polygalic and virgineic 
-acids are extracted. If the aqueous infusion is now con- 
■densed, and the syrupy residue treated with alcohol, the 
polygalic acid is precipitated. Pure polygalic acid is, 
therefore, insoluble in alcohol. If now the alcoholic 
tincture of seneka is concentrated to a syrupy liquid by 
evaporating the alcohol and then water be added, the 
virgineic acid precipitates whilst the polygalic acid re¬ 
mains in solution. 
Virgineic acid, either alone or associated with poly¬ 
galic acid, is therefore insoluble in water. Now since 
polygalic acid is readily dissolved by alcohol only in 
the presence of virgineic acid, it becomes evident that 
the latter determines the solubility in that menstruum. 
Pectin and albumin are two inert constituents of se- 
meka root, which, by reason of their proneness to decom- 
-pose, must always be avoided in its preparations. Both 
are soluble in water and weak alcohol. 
Consequently, if officinal alcohol is used as the men¬ 
struum for exhausting the activity of seneka root, these 
injurious bodies will be totally excluded from the prepa¬ 
ration. 
It would now seem that with the use of officinal alco¬ 
hol all difficulty had been overcome; but the residuary 
mixture of polygalic and virgineic acid after the expul¬ 
sion of the alcohol forms, by the addition of water, an 
opaque intensely milky mixture, owing to the finely 
■divided state of the insoluble virgineic acid. Although 
virgineic acid is insoluble in cold water, it nevertheless 
dissolves quite freely in this when hot, yet again sepa¬ 
rates on cooling in more compact creamy flakes, whilst 
the intervening liquid seems transparent and clear. The 
milky liquid at first obtained passes readily through a 
filter, but unaltered in appearance. However, the same 
liquid, after being- heated and again cooled utterly defies 
filtration, as the impervious precipitate rapidly fills the 
pores of the paper. 
Since the active ingredients of seneka possess acid 
characters, they will naturally combine with some bases, 
for instance, the alkalies. This is unquestionably true 
in case of virgineic acid, as it is instantly dissolved by 
ammonia, potassium or sodium hydrate, or their normal 
carbonates, and is immediately reprecipitated by the ad¬ 
dition of an acid. 
Acting upon the circumstance that the annoying pre¬ 
sence of virgineic acid can be tolerated by the interven¬ 
tion of a base, the writer, about two years ago, devised 
a process for syrup of seneka and compound syrup of 
squill, which rested upon the application of officinal 
alcohol and ammonia. 
Disodic carbonate would have formed a more stable 
combination, but it was rendered wholly objectionable 
by the fact, that many acidulous preparations, as syrup 
of squill for example, so frequently used in conjunction 
with these syrups, was rendered entirely incompatible 
by the antagonism of the acid in one and carbonated 
alkali in the other. 
Ammonia was therefore adopted, but a similar ob¬ 
jection in regard to acid preparations ruled here since 
the virgineic acid was invariably liberated. Even after 
the beautiful and clear syrup had been prepared a few 
days, the affinity between the ammonia and virgineic 
acid relaxed, and the latter again floated free. Upon 
this the writer resorted to the use of magnesium carbo¬ 
nate to clarify the milky mixture of polygalic and vir¬ 
gineic acid, a precedent already given in other syrups. 
This was attended with good success, and the process 
was published. 
In the process given the writer adhered to the excel¬ 
lent menstruum, the officinal alcohol which so readily ex¬ 
hausts the activity and so thoroughly excludes the inert 
fermentable matters, but merely replaced the caustic- 
alkali by magnesium carbonate which, by mechanical ab¬ 
sorption, removed the virgineic acid. To economize men¬ 
struum the writer recommended repercolation; but a 
single percolation with more menstruum was optional. 
Subsequently, this process, however excellent, was aban¬ 
doned for a simpler and more expeditious one. 
Syrups are aqueous preparations containing sugar as 
a preservative of certain substances in the administration 
of which alcohol is sought to be avoided. Yet, never¬ 
theless, in the majority of these preparations the absence 
of alcohol in a therapeutic view is not absolutely re¬ 
quired. But its presence in a pharmaceutic one is often 
indispensable to the permanence of such preparation 
where sugar alone fails to preserve. It is, therefore, the 
opinion of the writer, that in syrups where the sugar 
alone suffices alcohol should not enter, but wherever it 
is required no scruples should be entertained against its 
presence. 
In the new modification a great difficulty is obviated 
by using the root in coarse powder. The objection to 
this procedure is again compensated by a short maceration 
before the root is packed and percolated. A very weak al¬ 
coholic menstruum is used, about one-sixth to one quarter 
alcohol; the percolate is slowly heated to boiling, the 
albumen precipitated and a considerable proportion of 
the alcohol is expelled; enough, however,, remains for 
the purpose intended: after cooling the liquid is filtered; 
this proceeds rapidly, the filtrate being perfectly clear 
and transparent. The sugar is now dissolved in.this by 
heat and the syrup strained through muslin while hot. 
Less sugar than usual is taken and still the syrup is 
thick, permanent, clear and transparent, and possesses the 
