Am.  jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Oct.,  1881.  j 
Anda-assu. 
495 
The  two  lead  precipitates  were  suspended  in  water,  decomposed  by 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  the  filtrate  evaporated ;  the  extract  was 
partly  soluble  in  chloroform,  petroleum  benzin  and  ether,  and  wliolly 
soluble  in  potassa,  the  latter  solution  yielding,  with  hydrochloric  acid, 
a  yellow  resinous  preci])itate. 
The  drug,  exhausted  with  alcohol,  was  now  percolated  with  water, 
the  infusion  boiled  to  coagulate  the  albumen  and  concentrated  by 
evaporation,  when  it  had  a  dark- brown  color  and  a  bitter  taste.  The 
residuary  powder,  boiled  wirh  water,  yielded  a  very  bitter  liquid  in 
which  neither  iodine  water,  ferric  chloride  or  gelatin  produced  any 
change.  The  infusion  and  decoction  were  united  and,  on  evaporation, 
yielded  an  extract  which  contained  considerable  gummy  matter  and 
yielded  nothing  to  petroleum  benzin,  and  to  ether  merely  a  small 
quantity  of  greenish  substance. 
A  portion  of  the  fresh  powder,  810  grains,  exhausted  with  petro- 
leum benzin,  yielded  17  grains  of  a  dark-green,  slightly  bitter,  waxy 
substance.  The  ])owder  was  subsequently  exhausted  with  ether  and 
the  ether  evaporated  spontaneously.  A  croj)  of  tolerably  pure  crys- 
tals was  removed,  tlie  crystals  subsequently  forming  being  contami- 
nated with  resinous  matter.  Water,  in  which  the  ethereal  extract  was 
boiled,  became  extremely  bitter  and  separated,  on  evaporation,  clear, 
very  bitter  crystals  which,  in  watery  solution,  acquired,  with  ferric 
chloride,  a  beautiful  deep-red  color  and  did  not  reduce  Fehling's  solu- 
tion. Heated  upon  platinum  foil,  the  crystals  burned  Avithout  leaving 
any  residue. 
On  incineration,  the  powder  left  10  percent,  of  ash. 
The  parthenium  tops  are  employed  in  the  form  of  hot  infusion,  the 
strained  liquid  being  preserved  by  tiie  addition  of  a  quantity  of  spirit. 
It  should  be  mentioned  yet  that  the  liquid  preparations  of  this  drug  • 
possess  an  agreeable  orange-like  odor. 
Anda-assu  is  the  fruit  of  Joliannesia  princep'^,  nat.  ord.  Euphor- 
biacese,  indigenous  to  Brazil.  The  fruit  weighs  about  350  grams  and 
contains  50  seeds,  from  which  48  grams  of  a  clear,  reddish,  inodorous 
sweet  oil  may  be  obtained.  Taken  in  the  dose  of  10  grams,  four  or 
five  evacuations  are  produced  without  any  nausea,  vomiting  or  irrita- 
tion of  the  intestines.  Compared  with  castor  oil,  it  is  equally  active 
in  smaller  doses,  is  more  liquid  and  has  not  the  disagreeable  odor  of 
the  latter. — FJiar.  Ztg. 
