Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Mar.,  1882.  J 
Alkaloid  in  Fraxinus  Americana. 
99 
sulphate  of  morphine  at  15°C.,  filtering  into  a  tared  glass  capsule, 
evaporating  on  the  water-bath  to  dryness,  and  subsequently  heating 
to  130°C.  until  the  weight  remained  constant. 
8'5880  grams  of  solution  gave  0*3530  gram  of  anhydrous  sulphate 
of  morphine,  corresponding  to  0'4005  gram  of  the  crystallized  salt,  or 
4*6634  per  cent.  In  this  instance  the  amount  of  water  required  for 
the  solution  of  one  part  of  the  salt  Avill  be,  therefore,  approximately, 
21*44  parts,  or  somewhat  less  than  that  indicated  by  the  determina- 
tions of  the  previously  described  method.  If,  however,  the  first  results 
be  accepted  as  the  more  correct,  and  the  method  is  one  which  admits 
of  a  considerable  degree  of  accuracy,  the  conclusion  must  be  drawn, 
that  one  part  of  sulphate  of  morphine  requires,  in  round  numbers,  24 
parts  of  water  at  15°C.  (59°F.)  for  solution. 
It  has  been  recently  remarked  to  the  writer,  as  a  result  of  the  prac- 
tical observations  of  those  who  are  frequently  required  to  dispense 
sulphate  of  morphine,  that  there  is  a  dilference  in  the  degree  of  solu- 
bility of  the  salt,  as  produced  by  the  diiferent  manufacturers.  Whether 
such  a  dilference  really  exists,  or  whether  it  be  simply  apparent,  I 
have  not  had  an  opportunity  of  determining,  but  it  is  a  question  of 
sufficient  interest  as  to  merit  further  comparative  determinations. 
PRELIMINARY  NOTICE  OF  AN  ALKALOID  IN  THE 
BARK  OF  FRAXINUS  AMERICANA  (White  Ash). 
By  Prof.  Frederick  B.  Power,  Ph.D. 
In  the  course  of  some  experiments  which  were  undertaken  a  few 
weeks  ago  by  Mr.  H.  M.  Edwards,  under  my  direction,  in  the  chemi- 
cal laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  our  attention 
was  directed  to  the  presence  of  an  alkaloid  in  the  bark  under  notice. 
The  body  in  question  is  apparently  quite  a  strong  base,  and  is,  with  a 
considerable  degree  of  probability,  the  principle  upon  which  the  the- 
rapeutical virtues  of  the  bark  depend ;  the  preparation  of  the  bark 
which  has  been  most  successfully  employed  for  obtaining  its  specific 
action  being  a  wine,  for  which  a  formula  has  been  given  in  the  last 
number  of  this  journal  by  Mr.  Thomas  S.  Wiegand. 
The  object  of  this  brief  notice  at  this  time  is  primarily  to  make 
known  the  observation,  which  is  attended  with  special  interest  from 
the  fact  of  no  alkaloid  having  as  yet  been  observed  in  plants  of 
the  natural  order  of  oleaceie,  and  furthermore,  as  Mr.  Edwards,  a  stu- 
