114        Asclepias  Cornuti  and  Asclepias  Tuberosa.    {^ii^S  mS™ 
uble  in  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  slightly  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  and 
very  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform. 
The  residue  of  the  drug  was  next  treated  with  stronger  ether  in  the 
same  manner  as  with  the  petroleum  ether.  This  ethereal  solution 
gave  the  same  fluorescence  as  the  petroleum  ether  and  yielded  on 
evaporation  1*3  per  cent,  of  residue.  This  residue  was  treated  succes- 
sively with  water,  water  containing  1  per  cent,  hydrochloric  acid  and 
with  water  made  slightly  alkaline  with  potassium  hydrate.  The  for- 
mer gave  no  response  to  tests  for  glucosides,  alkaloids  or  gallic  acid. 
The  second,  which  gave  a  distinct  test  for  glucosides,  on  being  neutral- 
ized with  sodium  hydrate  deposited  a  flocculent  precipitate.  This  so- 
lution containing  the  precipitate  was  agitated  with  stronger  ether, 
which  on  spontaneous  evaporation  deposited  a  small  quantity  of  crys- 
tals, which  upon  recrystallization  assumed  the  form  shown  in  Fig.  A. 
The  alkaline  solution  gave  negative  tests  as  in  the  case  of  the  aqueous 
solution. 
One  hundred  grams  of  the  powdered  root  of  Asclepias  tuberosa  were 
macerated  in  petroleum  ether  and  stronger  ether  and  the  residue  from 
the  ether  solution  treated  with  acidulated  water  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Asclepias  Cornuti.  From  this  solution  crystals  were  obtained  by  agita- 
tion with  ether  and  evaporation  of  the  ethereal  solution.  These  crys- 
tals upon  recrystallization  from  ether  had  the  form  as  shown  in  Fig.  B, 
The  residue  of  the  Asclepias  Cornuti  was  next  exhausted  with  abso- 
lute alcohol.  This  alcoholic  solution  also  showed  the  fluorescence  as 
noted  in  the  other  solvents  and  yielded  3#58  per  cent,  of  residue, 
which  was  completely  soluble  in  water,  and  was  taken  up  in  that 
liquid  and  the  tests  applied  for  tannin  and  alkaloids  with  negative  re- 
sults. It,  however,  responded  to  the  tests  for  glucosides.  The  aque- 
ous solution  was  then  agitated  with  petroleum  ether,  ether  and  chloro- 
form. The  ether  and  chloroform  solutions  both  deposited  crystals 
which  recrystallized  from  ether  in  the  form  shown  in  Fig.  C.  The 
aqueous  solution  after  treatment  as  stated  above  was  made  alkaline 
