Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
June,  1889.  / 
Euonymus  atropurpureus. 
285 
Absolute  alcohol  extracted  from  the  original  drug  2*16  per  cent., 
1*58  per  cent,  was  soluble  in  water,  to  which  it  imparted  an  acid  re- 
action due  to  euonic  acid.  Negative  results  were  gotten  for  tannic 
acid,  alkaloids  and  glucosides.  Ether  was  the  only  one  of  a  number 
of  solvents  agitated  with  the  above  aqueous  solution  that  extracted 
anything,  and  it  on  evaporation  yielded  a  dark-brown,  amorphous 
mass,  having  a  very  bitter  and  somewhat  benumbing  taste.  This,  no 
doubt,  represented  the  euonymin  of  previous  investigators.  The  in- 
soluble part  of  the  alcoholic  extract  consisted  of  an  acid  resin  appar- 
ently identical  with  that  found  in  the  ether  extract  of  the  drug. 
It  will  be  seen  from  the  results  so  far  that  in  order  to  obtain  the 
two  active  principles  of  Wahoo,  it  should  first  be  exhausted  with  ether 
to  extract  euonic  acid,  and  then  with  alcohol  to  obtain  euonymin. 
The  method  used  by  Carpenter  and  Wenzell  of  making  a  tincture 
with  diluted  alcohol  and  agitating  with  chloroform  was  also  tried  on  a 
much  larger  quantity  of  the  drug,  but  in  this  way  mixtures  of  the  two 
principles  were  obtained,  which  would  account  for  Carpenter  stating 
that  the  active  constituent  was  crystalline  with  a  bitter  taste,  as  he,  no 
doubt,  had  the  crystals  of  euonic  acid  mixed  with  the  very  bitter 
euonymin.  The  remaining  results  which  are  much  the  same  as  those 
previously  noted  by  Miller  are  given  in  the  following  summary : 
Volatile  oil  and  wax   1/30  per  cent. 
Euonic  acid  and  resin   1*48  " 
Euonymin  and  resin     2-16  '* 
Mucilage   1-50  " 
Dextrin   5*53  " 
Saccharose   1*88  " 
Albumenoids  and  pectin   8*34  " 
Calcium  oxalate   1-20  " 
Coloring,  etc.,  extracted  by  chlorine  water   6-66  " 
Ash   11-65  " 
Moisture   9*25  " 
Cellulose,  lignin  and  loss   49"05  " 
Total  100-00  " 
Amylene  hydrate  has  been  observed  by  Dr.  Jumon  (La  France  Med.) 
to  produce  a  period  of  excitement  which  is  quickly  followed  by  sleep.  The 
dose  as  a  hypnotic  is  three  grams.  See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1888, 
p.  584. 
