288 
Root  of  Phytolacca  Decandra. 
A.ni.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1897. 
grammes  of  the  drug  were  extracted  with  200  c.c.  of  cold  water, 
and  the  filtered  solution  titrated  against  a  standard  alkali  solution. 
By  this  means  the  percentage  of  free  acid,  calculated  as  formic  acid, 
was  determined. 
On  distilling  a  90  per  cent,  alcohol  extract  of  the  root  a  small 
quantity  of  the  acid  was  obtained.  This  was  exactly  neutralized 
with  fixed  alkali  and  brought  to  dryness  on  the  water  bath.  When 
the  alkali  was  added  the  solution  became  light  yellowish  in  color. 
The  dry  salt  was  distilled  with  phosphoric  acid,  to  obtain  the  organic 
acid  in  the  free  state.    It  distilled  between  980  and  ioo°. 
The  acid  responded  to  the  ferric  chloride  test  for  formic  acid. 
Neutralized  solutions  slowly  reduced  silver  nitrate,  but  without  the 
appearance  of  a  mirror.  The  potassium  salt  crystallized  in  beautiful 
stellate  tufts.  The  free  acid  was  found  to  be  soluble  in  water  and 
weak  alcohols,  somewhat  soluble  in  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  almost 
insoluble  in  absolute  alcohol.  It  was  insoluble  in  ether,  benzene, 
petroleum  ether,  etc.  The  taste  and  smell  of  the  acid  were  similar  to 
those  of  formic  acid,  though  not  quite  identical.  It  is,  however, 
possible  that  impurities  were  present. 
When  the  dry  root  was  distilled  with  steam  the  distillate  had 
only  a  very  slight  acid  reaction.  This  may,  perhaps,  be  accounted 
for  on  the  supposition  that  the  acid  was,  in  this  case,  neutralized  by 
carbonates  in  the  root  with  which  it  came  in  contact  in  a  not  too 
dilute  form.  When  the  root  was  distilled  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid 
the  free  acid  was  readily  obtained. 
Careful  examination  of  aqueous  and  alcoholic  extracts  of  the  root 
failed  to  reveal  even  traces  of  the  following  acids :  acetic,  citric, 
malic,  tartaric,  benzoic  and  salicylic.  The  first  four  named  acids 
were  tested  for  with  particular  care,  since  they  have  been  found  by 
various  investigators  in  the  fruit  of  the  same  plant.  Although  cal- 
cium oxalate  was  found  to  the  extent  of  6  per  cent.,  no  free  oxalic 
acid  or  soluble  oxalates  were  discovered.  Phytolaccic  acid  may  or 
may  not  be  present.  From  the  descriptions  given  by  its  discoverer 
it  would  appear  that  the  acid  he  described  was  by  no  means 
pure. 
It  has  seemed  proper  to  calculate  the  acids  in  combination  as 
potassium  salts,  since  such  a  large  amount  of  potassium  is  present. 
It  is  certainly  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  salts  exist  as  such  in 
the  root. 
