.Am.  Jour  Pharm.  "I 
Sept.,  1881.  j 
Thapsia  Gargamca. 
435 
benzin.  When  heated  it  gives  off  the  disagreeable  odor  of  burning 
•caoutchouc.  When  mixed  with  a  small  proportion  of  sulphur  and 
heated  the  yellow  color  changes  to  a  dark  brown,  and  it  then  has  the 
-elasticity  of  ordinary  India  rubber. 
The  drug,  after  exhaustion  with  benzin,  was  next  treated  with  95 
per  cent,  alcohol.  From  the  resulting  tincture  the  alcohol  was  dis- 
tilled off,  leaving  a  ruby-red  liquid  of  a  syrupy  consistence,  having 
with  litmus  an  acid  reaction.  It  has  an  intensely  bitter  taste,  remind- 
ing one  of  gentian.  The  liquid,  on  being  slowly  mixed  with  a  large 
bulk  of  water,  yields  a  precipitate  which,  after  separation  and  washing, 
is  odorless  and  tasteless  and  has  the  characteristics  of  a  resin.  The 
watery  solution  left  after  precipitation  of  the  resin  was  filtered  and 
boiled  to  expel  the  alcohol;  tested  with  solution  of  gelatin  a  flocculent 
precipitate  was  thrown  down,  proving  the  presence  of  tannin,  and 
after  filtering  Trommer's  test  liquid  was  reduced,  showing  the  presence 
of  glucose.  The  remainder  of  the  watery  solution  was  evaporated  and 
left  a  very  bitter  extractive  having  an  acid  reaction.  The  bitter  prin- 
ciple was  not  isolated. 
The  drug,  after  exhaustion  with  benzin  and  alcohol,  was  next 
treated  with  hot  water;  alcohol  precipitated  gummy  matter  from  the 
•decoction,  and  compound  tincture  of  iodine  gave  a  deep  blue  color, 
indicating  starch.  The  ash,  on  examination,  showed  the  usual  consti- 
tuents. On  distillation  of  the  drug  a  volatile  oil  was  obtained,  but  in 
such  a  small  quantity  that  it  could  not  be  examined.  It  is  probable 
that  the  fresh  rhizome  contains  a  volatile  acrid  principle  which  is  poi- 
sonous to  the  skin.  In  collecting  and  slicing  it  the  hands  are  often 
severely  poisoned,  small  blisters  forming,  which  cause  an  intense 
itching. 
In  conclusion,  we  find  the  rhizome  to  contain  the  following:  Ascle- 
^ion,  caoutchouc,  fixed  oil,  tannin,  glucose,  a  bitter  principle,  gum, 
;starch,  volatile  oil  and  the  usual  ash  constituents. 
Thapsia  garganica,  Lin.,  nat.  ord.  Umbelliferse,  grows  in  Algeria 
^nd  its  root  is  largely  employed  as  an  excellent  revulsive.  Renard 
and  Lacour-Eymard  state  that  the  active  principle  is  contained  mainly 
in  the  bark  of  the  root.  They  consider  the  tincture  as  preferable  to 
the  plaster  and  ointment. — Rep.  de  PAar.,  May,  pp.  216-219. 
