284  Root  of  Phytolacca  Decandra.        {Am^l^T^ ' 
acicular  crystals  from  the  absolute  alcohol  extract.  The  residue 
from  the  ether  extract  contained  a  wax,  melting  at  109°.  The  other 
substances  found  were :  gum,  glucose  and  tannin,  with  indications 
of  a  possible  glucoside. 
The  investigations  of  Haverland13  were  directed  to  the  fruit  of 
Phytolacca.  This  investigator  found  phytolaccic  acid,  with  small 
quantities  of  acetic,  citric  and  tartaric  acids.  Phytolaccin,  which  he 
found  in  seeds  on  analysis,  was  found  to  be  a  non-nitrogenous  body 
related  to  the  tannins,  and  containing  65  95  per  cent,  of  carbon, 
28-15  Per  cent.  of  hydrogen,  and  5-9  per  cent,  of  oxygen. 
A  substance  obtained  from  the  root,  and  suggested  as  being  a 
saponin,  was  described  by  Trimble14  in  1893.  It  was  precipitated 
by  water  from  the  alcoholic  percolate.  Solutions  frothed  on 
shaking.  The  taste  was  slightly  bitter  and  acrid.  Analysis  indi- 
cated the  formula  C54H82023. 
The  latest  contribution  to  a  knowledge  of  the  chemical  properties 
of  the  root  is  by  one15  of  the  present  authors.  A  complete  quantita- 
tive analysis  of  the  ash  was  made,  and  the  gases  given  off  during 
destructive  distillation  of  the  root  were  investigated.  As  the  results 
have  been  so  lately  published  it  is  unnecessary  to  summarize  them  here. 
In  the  foregoing  account  reference  has  been  made  to  investiga- 
tions on  the  fruit  of  Phytolacca  only  when  it  seemed  that  these 
might  throw  light  upon  the  constituents  of  the  root.  It  will  be 
sufficient  here  to  mention  the  investigations  of  Bischoff16  and 
Macagno,17  which  were  directed  to  the  coloring  matter  of  the  fruit, 
and  those  of  Claussen18  on  the  active  principle  of  the  seed  ;  and  of 
Eberhardt,19  who  examined  the  root  but  made  no  quantitative  analy- 
sis and  whose  work  was  mostly  corroborative  of  previous  results. 
13 'Haverland,  Franz.  Beitrage  zur  Kentniss  der  in  den  Friichten  von  Phyto- 
lacca Decandra  en thaltenen  Bestandtheile.  In aug.  Dissertation.  Erlangen.  1892. 
^Trimble,  Henry.  A  Proximate  Principle  from  Phytolacca  Decandra.  Am. 
Jour.  Pharm.,  65,  273,  1893. 
lhFrankforter,  Geo.  B.  A  Chemical  Study  of  Phytolacca  Decandra.  Am. 
Jour.  Pharm.,  69,  134,  1897. 
16 'Bischoff,  H.  Inaug.  Dissertation.  Tubingen,  1876.  Ueber  den  Farbstoffe,  etc. 
Ivandwirthsch.  Versuchsst.,  23,  456-61,  1878. 
xlMacagno,J.  In  atti  R.  Stazione  chemico-agraria  di  Palermo,  47,  1886. 
Chem.  Centrbl.,  123,  1886. 
lsClaussen.    In  Husemann-Hilger's  ' '  Pflanzenstoffe, "  p.  531,  1882. 
l9Eberhardt,  E.  G.  Chemical  Examination  of  Poke  Root.  Lilly's  Bulletin , 
No.  23,  p.  3.  1893. 
