AmJJXr;if9h7arm'}       Root  of  Phytolacca  Decandra.  289 
A  portion  of  the  dilute  sulphuric  acid  extract  was  heated  in  a 
•closed  tube  at  1 20°.  The  percentage  of  glucose  was  determined, 
and  from  this  the  amount  of  starch  calculated. 
Potassium  nitrate  crystallized  from  the  alcohol  extracts.  Under 
the  most  favorable  conditions  a  little  less  than  1  per  cent,  was  ob- 
tained by  careful  crystallization. 
After  extracting  the  root  with  90  per  cent,  and  with  60  per  cent, 
alcohol,  an  extract  made  with  cold  water  was,  after  drying,  6-6  per 
cent,  by  weight  of  the  dry  root.  The  extract  has  a  strong  cathartic 
action,  this  property  being  tested  by  two  persons.  It  is  to  be  noted 
that  the  95  per  cent,  and  60  per  cent,  extracts  also  possessed  the 
same  property,  but  to  a  less  extent.  These  extracts,  when  strongly 
heated,  emit  an  odor  of  popping  corn. 
A  quantity  of  the  root,  first  exhausted  with  water,  was  percolated 
with  95  per  cent,  alcohol.  The  tinctures  frothed  on  boiling.  On 
cooling  there  was  deposited  a  whitish  powder,  the  particles  usually 
somewhat  spherical  in  shape,  each  one  with  a  short  appendage. 
This  substance  is  nearly  insoluble  in  water,  but  rather  soluble  in 
alcohol.  This  may  be  the  proximate  principle  described  by  Trim- 
ble. Only  a  small  quantity  was  obtained.  It  has  not  been  further 
examined. 
Extended  investigations  were  made  to  establish  the  presence  of 
an  alkaloid  or  glucoside.  Although  the  examination  was  quite  thor- 
ough, no  substances  of  this  nature  were  isolated.  Further  investi- 
gations will,  however,  be  made  as  soon  as  fresh  material  is  obtain- 
able. 
Tests  were  made  for  the  alkaloids  and  the  glucosides  commonly 
occurring  in  plants,  but  with  negative  results  in  every  case.  Vari- 
ous methods  of  extraction  were  employed ;  e.  g.t  treatment  of  the 
aqueous  extract  with  alcohol  and  with  methyl  and  amyl  alcohol ; 
also  with  acidulated  water  and  acidulated  alcohols. 
In  purified  aqueous  extracts,  precipitates  were  thrown  down  with 
some  of  the  usual  alkaloidal  reagents,  but  not  with  picric  acid  or 
phosphomolybdic  acid. 
Attempts  were  made  at  every  step  to  obtain  the  substance  in 
crystalline  form,  but  always  without  success.  Purified  extracts,  acid 
and  alkaline,  were  shaken  with  various  solvents,  as  ethyl  acetate, 
chloroform,  ether,  petroleum  ether,  and  benzol.  In  many  cases 
tests  applied  to  the  dissolved  residues  indicated  the  presence  of  an 
