jiim.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Dec,  1881.  i 
Phytolacca  Radix. 
597 
ON  PHYTOLACCA  KADIX. 
By  William  F.  Pape,  Pii.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
A  quantity  of  the  root  was  coarsely  powdered  and  treated  with 
i<t)enzol  until  the  last  of  the  percolate  left  no  residue  upon  evaporation. 
This  extract  was  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  treated  with  80 
fper  cent,  alcohol,  which  removed  coloring  matter  and  a  small  amount 
•  of  resin.  The  part  insoluble  in  alcohol  was  a  dark  brown  oil,  which, 
upon  being  mixed  with  potassic  hydrate  and  sodium  chloride,  formed 
a  saponaceous  mass  ;  the  oil  dropped  on  paper  left  a  permanent  greasy 
.stain.   Benzol  extracted  about  '8  per  cent.,  of  which  '4  per  cent,  was  oil. 
The  root,  after  treatment  with  benzol,  was  completely  exhausted 
with  95  per  cent,  alcohol ;  this  extract  was  concentrated  by  distilling 
-off  the  greater  portion  of  the  alcohol,  and,  upon  standing,  deposited  a 
-considerable  quantity  of  colorless  crystals,  which  had  a  saline  and 
-cooling  taste ;  the  crystals  obtained  as  pure  as  possible,  heated  on 
/platinum  foil,  fused  to  a  colorless  liquid,  and  congealed  again  on  cool- 
ing. They  A¥ere  neutral  to  litmus  paper,  dissolved  freely  in  water, 
but  only  slightly  in  alcohol,  imparted  a  violet  color  to  the  flame,  and 
.proved  to  be  potassium  nitrate. 
The  concentrated  alcoholic  extract  has  a  sweetish,  then  acrid  taste 
and  an  odor  similar  to  that  of  conium  leaves.  This  extract  is  of  a 
:dark  reddish-brown  color  by  transmitted  light,  and  of  a  beautiful 
green  by  reflected  light.  It  was  carefully  evaporated  to  dryness, 
treated  with  absolute  alcohol,  specific  gravity  '793,  and  filtered.  The 
flltrate  was  evaporated  to  dryness,  treated  with  water,  filtered  and  the 
flltrate  precipitated  by  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead ;  the  precipitate 
was  collected  on  a  filter  and  washed  with  water,  then  suspended  in 
water  and  the  lead  removed  by  passing  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas 
into  it  and  filtering;  the  filtrate  was  boiled  to  drive  ofl"  sulphuretted 
hydrogen.  This  solution  gave  a  blueish-black  coloration  with  a  solu- 
tion of  ferric  chloride,  and  a  whitish  gelatinous  precipitate  with 
gelatin,  showing  the  presence  of  tannin.  The  portion  soluble  in  water, 
but  not  precipitated  by  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead,  was  freed  from 
lead  and  tested  for  alkaloids  and  glucosides.  By  adding  iodo-hydrar- 
;gyrate  of  potassium  to  the  solution  a  whitish  precipitate  formed,  and 
aiipon  adding  a  solution  of  iodine  and  iodide  of  potassium  to  another 
