THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
JANUARY,  ISS^, 
CELASTRUS  SCANDENS,  Lin. 
By  C.  Henry  Bernhard,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaucjurcd  Essay. 
Nat.  Oi'd.  Celastrace^e. 
Coramon  Names:  Climbing  Staff  Tree,  False  Bitter-Sweet,  Fever- 
twig,  Staff  A^ine,  Waxwort  and  Shrubby  Bitter-Sweet. 
In  the  preliminary  examination  of  this  drug  I  have  used,  as  far  as 
it  was  found  practicable,  the  method  proposed  by  Henry  B.  Parsons, 
Ph.C,  in  the  April  number  of  the  ''American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,'' 
1880. 
I.  Preparation  of  Sample. — The  bark  was  obtained  at  a  whole- 
sale drug  house  in  this  city  and,  after  careful  garbling,  was  reduced  to 
a  moderately  fine  powder  and  placed  in  a  clean  dry  bottle. 
II.  Estimation  of  Moisture. — Five  grams  of  the  powdered  bark 
were  dried  for  about  4  hours  at  200°F.,  weighing  at  different  times  to 
determine  when  it  ceased  to  lose  weight.  Loss,  by  this  treatment, 
11*62  per  cent. 
III.  Estimation  of  Ash. — Two  grams  of  the  powdered  bark 
were  placed  in  a  weighed  crucible  and,  after  careful  ignition,  the 
weight  of  residue  was  determined.    This  gave  7'52  per  cent,  of  ash. 
A.  Amount  Soluble  in  Water. — The  ash  from  5  grams  of  bark  was 
treated  with  several  portions  of  distilled  water ;  the  amount  soluble 
was  21*92  per  cent.  The  solntion  was  examined  and  found  to  contain 
sulphate,  chloride  and  carbonate  of  potassium,  and  sodium. 
B.  Insoluble  in  Water,  Soluble  in  Dilute  Hydrochloric  Acid. — The 
residue  from  A  was  treated  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  which  took 
up  9()  per  cent,  of  the  remaining  ash.  Th(^  solution  contained  iron, 
magnesium,  calcium  and  phosphoric  acid. 
0.  Insoluble  in  Water  and  in  Dilute  Hydrochloric  Acid,  Soluble  in 
Concentr(ded,  Sodlc  Hydrate. — Nearly  the  entire  amount  of  residue 
was  dissolved  and  proved  to  be  silica. 
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