406 
Fabiana  Imbricata. 
(Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
I     August,  1889. 
the  woody  branches,  it  being  claimed  that  both  wood  and  bark  possess 
medicinal  virtues,  although  it  is  probable  that  the  latter  is  the  more 
active  of  the  two. 
Petroleum  ether  dissolved  1*15  per  cent,  of  the  drug,  which  con- 
sisted of  a  trace  of  volatile  oil,  a  fat  melting  at  40°  C,  a  wax  melting 
at  45°  C,  and  a  caoutchouc-like  body  soluble  in  chloroform,  insolu- 
ble in  the  other  usual  solvents  and  melting  at  65°  C.  No  odor  of 
burning  rubber,  however,  was  developed  when  the  petroleum  ether 
extract  or  any  of  its  constituents  were  ignited,  as  noticed  by  Dr.  Lyons. 
Stronger  ether  extracted  1*41  per  cent,  of  the  drug,  and  from  this 
ethereal  extract  warm  distilled  water  dissolved  a  small  percentage  of 
a  fluorescent  glucoside,  which  fluorescence  was  much  intensified  on 
the  addition  of  dilute  sodium  hydrate  solution.  On  agitating  this 
aqueous  solution  with  ether  the  glucoside  was  absorbed  by  the  latter 
solvent,  which  deposited  it  in  stellate  groups  of  crystals.  These  crys- 
tals were  soluble  in  water,  alcohol,  chloroform  and  ether.  With  con- 
centrated sulphuric  acid  and  potassium  bichromate  a  dark-green  color 
was  developed,  with  nitric  or  hydrochloric  acid  a  yellow  color  with 
some  fluorescence,  and  with  potassium  or  ammonium  hydrate  a  deep 
yellow  with  bluish  fluorescence. 
That  portion  of  the  ethereal  extract  insoluble  in  water  was  soluble  in 
absolute  alcohol  which  solution  on  concentrating  and  setting  aside  depos- 
ited crystals.  These  on  re-solution  and  treatment  with  animal  charcoal 
were  obtained  of  a  pure  white  color.  They  were  entirely  insoluble  in 
water,  but  soluble  in  boiling  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  absolute  alcohol,  chlo- 
roform and  ether.  They  gave  a  dark-blue  color  with  sulphuric  acid  and 
potassium  bichromate,  but  they  were  insoluble  in  and  unaffected  by 
concentrated  solutions  of  the  alkaline  hydrates.  They  did  not  melt, 
but  became  brown  from  decomposition  at  270°  C,  the  highest  tem- 
perature to  which  they  were  subjected. 
Absolute  alcohol  extracted  1*13  per  cent.,  which  was  found  to  consist 
of  an  additional  quantity  of  the  fluorescent  glucoside  and  resin,  but 
no  tannin.  The  remainder  of  the  drug  was  found  to  contain  2*13 
per  cent,  mucilage,  2*04  per  cent,  albumen  and  a  number  of  the  usual 
constituents,  but  only  traces  of  sugar  and  no  starch. 
The  amount  of  moisture,  in  the  original  drug  was  7*75  per  cent,  and 
the  ash  10  per  cent. 
Finally  it  may  be  noticed  that  no  trace  of  alkaloid  was  found, 
although  Dr.  Lyons  thought  he  detected  a  small  quantity. 
