Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1897. 
} 
Root  of  Phytolacca  Decandra. 
287' 
above,  are  almost  perfectly  hexagonal  in  outline.  The  lengths  of 
the  lateral  axes  are  1  and  767.  Since  only  prismatic  crystals  were-' 
found,  the  length  of  the  vertical  axis  could  not  be  determined. 
The  commonest  forms  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  figure. 
The  sugar  began  to  melt  at  1460,  and  was  completely  melted  at 
1 5  3°.  It  boiled  at  from  1800  to  1 85 °,  turning  brown.  Warmed 
with  sodium  hydroxid  solution,  it  turned  yellow.  When  warmed 
with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  charring  did  not  take  place,  though 
there  was  a  brown  coloration. 
Polarization  of  a  clear  solution  showed  87-6  per  cent,  sucrose.. 
The  reaction  with  Fehling's  solution  indicated  4  4  per  cent,  anhydrous 
dextrose.  Polarization  was  not  affected  by  warming  the  solution  nor 
by  allowing  it  to  stand  in  the  tube  for  some  hours. 
Proteids  were  determined  in  the  alkali  extract  by  Kjeldahl's 
method. 
Amido-compounds  were  determined  by  the  use  of  potassium  hy- 
pobromite,  the  nitrogen  evolved  measured  and  calculated  to  aspara- 
gin. 
The  water  extract  of  the  root  had  a  decidedly  acid  reaction.  Two 
Sugar  Crystals  from  Phytolacca  Decandra. 
