Am.  Jour  iM.ani.. }  Asclepias  Tuberoso .  5 
.fan.,  lS8'i.      j  J 
l)etter  inenstrLiuni  would  be  80  per  cent,  alcohol,  which  aftbrds  a  per- 
manent preparation. 
The  infusion  and  decoction  are  both  unsatisfactory  preparations;  in 
•consequence  of  the  large  amount  of  sugar  which  tlie  bark  contains, 
they  rapidly  undergo  fermentation. 
AgCLEPIAS  TUBEROSA. 
BV   AlTOX   CliAB  AUUH,    P  H.  G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
When  the  drug  is  distilled  with  water  a  distillate  is  obtained  whicli 
has  the  odor  of  the  drug.  A  solid  substance,  lighter  than  water,  comes 
over  with  the  distillate,  and  is  found  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
liquid.  Upon  agitating  the  distillate  with  chloroform,  se])arating  and 
allowing  it  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  there  was  obtained  a  few  glob- 
ules of  oil,  which  were  scattered  around  the  sides  of  the  beaker,  and 
a  small  quantity  of  a  very  odorous,  crystalline,  fatty  substance  which 
melted  at  106°F.;  the  melting-point  was  ascertained  by  placing  a  beaker 
-containing  the  substance  in  a  vessel  containing  water,  the  water  was 
then  carefully  heated  until  the  melting-point  was  reached.  The  sub- 
stance is  sublimable  in  prismatic  needles  and  melts  before  subliming, 
the  odor  changing  at  the  same  time.  It  has  a  slight  acid  reaction  to 
litmus  paper ;  upon  the  addition  of  sulphuric  acid  it  acquires  a  brown 
<iolor;  with  nitric  and  sulphuric  acids,  a  reddish-brown  color,  which 
soon  fades  ;  with  nitric  and  hydrochloric  acids,  a  pink  color  which 
ohanges  and  fades.  It  is  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  chloroform, 
partially  soluble  in  caustic  alkalies.  The  reactions  indicate  it  to  be  a 
stearopten  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  oil. 
Another  portion  of  the  drug  was  treated  with  benzol,  the  ])ercolate 
was  evaporated  and  the  soft  extract  treated  with  bcnzin  in  order  to 
extract  the  fixed  oil  which,  when  obtained,  was  of  a  dark  color,  insol- 
uble in  alcohol,  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  and  sa])onifiable  bv 
caustic  alkalies.  The  portion  of  the  extract  insoluble  in  benzin  was 
left  in  the  condition  of  a  powder  which  was  soluble  in  cldoroform  and 
partially  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether.  The  alcoholic  solution  was 
evaporated  and  left  a  residue  of  a  bitter  taste,  mostly  soluble  in  water, 
und  pre(!ipitated  from  this  solution  by  solution  of  tanin'n.  The  por- 
tion insoluble  in  alcohol  is  also  insoluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and 
benzol,  does  not  melt  upon  being  lieated,  but  at  a  higher  heat  burns  to 
11  white  ash. 
