Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  | 
April,  1882.  j" 
Osmorrhiza  Longistylis. 
151 
filtered  off,  darkens  when  boiled  with  a  caustic  alkali  (Moore's  test), 
reduces  bismuth  subnitrate  when  boiled  with  an  alkali  (Boettger's 
test),  reduces  copper  oxide  to  suboxide  (Trommer's  test),  and  also 
reduces  silver  and  mercury  when  boiled  with  a  caustic  alkali. 
This  is  due  to  the  presence  of  a  saccharoid  body,  which  is  converted 
into  glucose  or  similar  sugar  on  boiling  with  sulphuric  acid  ;  probably 
a  glucoside.  An  aqueous  solution  of  this  extract,  decolorized  by  ani- 
mal charcoal  and  evaporated  in  a  silver  dish,  yields  a  syrupy  mass 
having  the  odor  and  taste  of  molasses.  A  portion  of  the  extract  dis- 
solved in  water  and  placed  under  the  influence  of  yeast  for  about  24 
hours  produced  evolution  of  gas  and  the  odor  of  a  fermenting  liquid. 
About  one-tenth  of  this  liquid  having  been  distilled  off  gave  a 
pleasant  smelling  distillate  in  which  the  presence  of  a  small  quantity 
of  alcohol  was  shown,  thus  proving  the  saccharoid  nature  of  the  orig- 
inal substance.  The  tests  used  were :  potassium  bichromate  with  sul- 
phuric acid  gave  a  green  color;  heated  with  a  strongly  alkaline  solu- 
tion of  iodine  there  was  developed  the  odor  of  iodoform. 
After  percolation  with  alcohol,  the  residue  exhausted  with  cold 
water  gave  a  light  colored  liquid  which  slightly  coagulates  on  boiling. 
The  albumen  was  separated  by  filtration  and  the  filtrate  precipitated 
by  subacetate  of  lead,  the  precipitate  collected  and  freed  from  lead  by 
hydrogen  sulphide,  the  lead  sulphide  removed  and  the  filtrate  boiled 
to  free  it  from  any  remaining  hydrogen  sulphide.  The  solution  con- 
centrated produces  a  white  precipitate  with  a  solution  of  gelatin  and  a 
black  precipitate  with  ferric  chloride,  thus  showing  the  presence  of 
tannin.  After  decolorization  by  animal  charcoal  only  saline  matter 
remained  on  evaporation  to  dryness. 
The  filtrate  freed  from  lead  by  hydrogen  sulphide,  and  freed  from 
any  remaing  hydrogen  sulphide  by  boiling,  after  concentration  pro- 
duced a  precipitate  of  copper  suboxide,  when  boiled  with  an  alkaline 
solution  of  the  oxide,  and  reduced  silver  in  the  presence  of  an  alkali. 
The  residue,  after  percolation  with  cold  water,  was  treated  with  boil- 
ing water  and  macerated  for  24  hours  and  this  infusion  treated  in  a 
similar  manner  as  the  cold  percolate.  It  contained  starch  and  was  ])re- 
cipitated  by  gelatin,  but  not  darkened  on  the  addition  of  ferric  chlo- 
ride. 
The  filtrate  freed  from  lead  and  concentrated  failed  to  reduce  copper 
or  silver  or  produce  a  change  with  caustic  alkali,  and  on  evaporation 
left  a  dark  brown  extract. 
