'^'"£^1882'^'"'}        Active  Constituents  of  Podophyllin.  109 
to  be  due  to  the  presence  of  podophylloquercetin,  as  with  aDimals  the 
pains  produced  in  the  abdomen  after  the  administration  of  podophyl- 
lotoxin  could  only  be  observed  in  those  cases  in  which  with  the  latter 
podophylloquercetin  was  intentionally  mixed.  The  podophyllinic 
acid  of  other  authors  does  not  produce  these  effects.  Podophylloquer- 
cetin is  readily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  sparingly  in  chloroform^ 
and  completely  insoluble  in  water ;  with  ammonia  and  caustic  alkalies 
it  gives  fine  bright  yellow  solutions,  and  with  the  alkaline  earths  insol- 
uble bright  yellow  compounds.  Podophylloquercetin  is  usually 
obtained  in  the  form  of  a  yellow  amorphous  powder,  but  may  with 
difficulty  be  obtained  from  its  ethereal  solution  in  crystals.  By  the- 
prolonged  action  of  ammonia  and  other  alkalies  it  becomes  brown,  and 
is  partially  converted  into  an  uncrystallizable  resinous  mass,  and 
partly  into  dingy  acid  products  of  decomposition.  By  exposure  to 
air,  even  when  perfectly  pure,  it  becomes  gradually  green,  and  to 
this  the  occasional  greenish  color  of  officinal  podophyllin  is  attrib- 
uted. The  melting  point  of  podophylloquercetin  is  247  to  250°C. 
when  melted  it  begins  to  blacken,  and  sublimes  partially,  being  con- 
densed on  the  cooler  parts  of  the  tube  in  the  form  of  very  small  shin- 
ing, needle-like  crystals.  Ferric  chloride  colors  the  solutions  dark 
green,  and  the  microscopic  crystals  above  mentioned  are  likewise  col- 
ored. Neutral  acetate  of  lead  produces  in  the  solutions  orange-yellow 
precipitates,  which  are  sohible  in  acetic  acid.  Submitted  to  element- 
ary analysis,  it  gave  carbon  59*37,  hydrogen  4-01  and  oxygen  36*62,, 
and  appears  to  resemble  in  many  respects  the  other  varieties  of  quer- 
cetin. 
Podophyllinic  Acid, — By  this  name  the  author  designates  the  brown 
amorphous  resinous  matter  which  is  insokible  in  ether  and  petroleum 
ether,  but  soluble  in  alcohol  and  chloroform ;  it  is  insoluble  in  water,, 
and  exerts,  therefore,  like  the  remaining  accessory  constituents  of  podo- 
phyllin, no  action  upon  the  animal  organism.  The  impure  appear- 
ance of  podophyllotoxin,  when  it  has  not  been  treated  with  ether, 
depends  always  upon  its  admixture  with  podophyllinic  acid. 
Fatty  Substances. — The  fatty  oil  of  officinal  podophyllin  is  always 
of  a  greenish  color,  and  is  only  brown  when  in  the  preparation  of 
the  podophyllin  alum  solution  has  been  employed.  Another  fatty 
substance,  which  is  dissolved  in  this  oil,  crystallizes  therefrom  in  the 
form  of  colorless,  cholesterin-like  laminae;  the  fatty  oil  possesses  a 
peculiar  odor,  which  resembles  that  of  the  podophyllum  rhizome. 
