392  Barh  of  Samhucm  Canadeiisis. 
t 
THE  BAEK  OF  SAMBUCUS  CANADENSIS. 
By  Charles  G.  Traub,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Ino,ugiiral  Essay. 
The  bark  of  tlie  European  elder  has  been  analyzed,  and  that  of  the 
American  species  having  been  stated  to  probably  contain  the  same  con- 
stituents, I  examined  it  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  that  fact. 
The  air-dry  drug  was  found  to  contain  13  per  cent,  of  water  and 
8J  per  cent,  of  ash.  A  portion  of  the  ground  bark  was  exhausted 
with  hot  water,  the  decoction  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid  and  dis- 
tilled;  the  distillate  had  an  acid  reaction,  was  neutralized  with  caustic 
soda  and  evai)orated  cautiously  over  a  water-bath  to  dryness.  The 
presence  of  valerianic  acid  in  the  residue  was  proven  by  dissolving  a 
portion  in  water,  acidulating  with  sulphuric  acid,  adding  alcohol  and  * 
heating,  when  the  odor  of  oil  of  apples  (amyl  valerianate)  was  evolved  ;  - 
also  by  treating  the  solution  of  another  portion  with  sulphate  of  zinc, 
when  small  crystals  of  valerianate  of  zinc  were  obtained. 
Another  portion  of  the  bark  was  exhausted  with  benzin  and  the 
percolate  evaporated  spontaneously.  From  the  residue,  which  con- 
tained fat,  the  bitter  principle  could  not  be  obtained  pure  by  solvents 
sucli  as  stronger  ether,  benzin,  chloroform  and  a  mixture  of  ether 
and  chloroform.  The  distillate  from  this  extract  with  water  contained 
an  oily  substance  which  had  a  strong  odor  resembling  that  of  turpen- 
tine. The  fat  was  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform  and  saponifiable 
with  caustic  potash. 
The  bark,  previously  treated  with  benzin,  was  percolated  with  alco- 
hol and  the  alcohol  recovered  by  distillation.  The  extract  obtained 
was  poured  into  water  and  filtered  (precipitate  A),  sugar  was  detected 
in  this  filtrate  by  Fehling's  solution.  The  filtrate  was  evaporated  to 
dryness,  treated  Avith  alcohol,  which  only  took  up  a  part  (residue  B), 
and  ether  was  added  to  precipitate  the  sugar.  The  filtrate  was  evap- 
orated to  dryness  and  the  residue  treated  with  water  and  filtered  ;  this 
filtrate  gave  a  pea-green  color  with  sulphate  of  copper,  an  amber 
color  with  caustic  potash  and  a  precipitate  with  neutral  acetate  of  lead. 
The  filtrate  from  the  latter  gave  a  precipitate  with  basic  acetate  of 
lead. 
The  residue  from  the  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether,  not  soluble 
in  water,  was  dissolved  in  alcohol  ;  to  this  water  was  added,  the  alco- 
I  Am.  Tour.  I'll  arm. 
1      Aug.,  1881. 
