Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
August,  1889.  / 
Fabiana  Imbricata. 
405 
II.  We  find  in  addicion  to  methyl  salicylate,  in  both  a  hydrocarbon 
of  the  formula  C15H24,  and  small  quantities  of  benzoic  acid  and 
ethyl  alcohol.  The  amount  of  the  hydrocarbon  is  from  0*3  to  0"447 
per  cent.,  and  it  becomes  solid  on  standing  a  short  time  or  on  cooling. 
It  is  probably  made  up  of  a  solid  and  a  liquid  portion. 
III.  The  oils  are  physically  and  chemically  identical.  The  only 
difference  detected  being  in  the  melting  point  of  the  hydrocarbons. 
That  from  wintergreen  melted  at  from  10°  to  15°C,  and  that  from 
birch  at  18  °C.  This  may  depend  on  the  time  of  collecting  the  plants 
or  on  the  age  of  the  oils. 
IV.  A  representative  sample  of  artificial  oil  of  wintergreen  pos- 
sessed the  physical  properties,  but  not  the  chemical  composition  of 
the  natural  oils,  nor  was  it  pure  methyl  salicylate. 
V.  The  artificial  product,  when  unmixed  with  the  natural  oils, 
may  be  identified  by  the  addition  of  excess  of  potassium  hydrate, 
when  all  odor  of  wintergreen  will  disappear. 
VI.  It  would  be  undesirable,  in  the  next  Pharmacopoeia  to  replace 
the  almost  pure  natural  oils  by  an  impure  methyl  salicylate  of  varia- 
ble and  uncertain  composition.  Xo  reasonable  objection  can  be 
offered  to  the  designation  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  as  oil  of  wintergreen, 
the  product  from  either  of  the  natural  sources. 
FABIANA  IMBEICATA. 
By  George  A.  Deitz.  Je.,  Ph.  G. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy. — Xo.  58. 
Pichi,  as  this  drug  is  commonly  called,  was  introduced  into  the 
United  States  a  few  years  ago  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  of  Detroit. 
It  belongs  to  the  natural  order  Solanaeese,  sub-order  Curvembria,  and 
to  the  tribe  Xicotianea?.  Its  habitat  is  South  America,  principally 
Chili.  It  is  said  to  be  especially  useful  in  diseases  of  the  urinary  or- 
gans, acting  as  a  diuretic  as  well  as  a  solvent  for  calcareous  deposits. 
A  full  description  will  be  found  in  the  AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF 
Pharmacy,  February,  1886,  together  with  a  proximate  analysis  by 
Dr.  A.  B.  Lyons.  The  following  results  do  not  in  all  respects  agree 
with  those  of  Dr.  Lyons,  which  may  in  part  be  accounted  for  by  my 
using  a  sample  of  the  woody  portion  and  bark  ground  together, 
which  reduced  the  percentages  of  extract  obtained  by  the  various  sol- 
vents.   It  may  be  here  explained  that  the  part  used  for  analysis  was 
