386 
The  Root  of  Stillingia  Sylvatica. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharin. 
I     August,  1882. 
The  resin  insoluble  in  ether  weighed  7*624  gni.  =  1)4-88  per  cent. 
Its  alcoholic  solution  is  neutral  to  litmus ;  its  solution  in  potassa  is 
bright  yellow  and  is  not  disturbed  on  the  addition  of  an  acid.  With 
nitric  acid  the  resin  evolves  nitrous  oxide  and  is  colored  bright  yellow. 
Among  the  products  of  oxidation  oxalic  acid  is  found. 
5.  Alcoholic  Extract. — The  drug  exhausted  with  benzol  was  treated 
with  80  per  cent,  alcohol ;  on  evaporating  the  tincture  5*508  gm.  = 
11*016  per  cent,  of  a  red-brown  tough  extract  was  obtained;  of  this 
•912  gm.  =  16*5  per  cent,  was  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol  and  this 
portion  had  an  acid  reaction,  reduced  Fehling's  solution,  was  free  from 
tannin  and  was  partly  precipitated  by  subacetate  of  lead. 
The  portion  insoluble  in  absolute  alcohol  was  entirely  soluble  in 
water  and  was  partly  precipitated  by  basic  lead  acetate. 
6.  Cold  Water  Extract. — Cold  water  took  up  from  the  drug  2*59 
gm.  5*18  per  cent,  of  extract,  consisting  of  gum  and  coloring 
matter. 
7.  Starch  was  estimated  by  boiling  the  root  with  water^  and  this 
extract  for  a  long  time  with  dilute  acid  and  calculating  from  the 
glucose;  the  amount  was  3*6  gm.  =  7*2  per  cent. 
8.  Alkali  Extract. — Boiling  dilute  soda  solution  dissolved  1*29  gm. 
=  2*58  per  cent,  of  albuminous  and  coloring  matters. 
Powdered  Jcdap. — Twelve  samples  were  assayed  for  the  resign, 
which  was  found  to  vary  from  3*8  to  16*2  per  cent.,  the  average  being 
8*1  per  cent. ;  this  resin  was  not  further  examined. 
THE  ROOT  OF  STILLINGIA  SYLVATICA. 
By  John  H.  Harmanson,  Ph.G. 
Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  cold  infusion  of  Stillingia  is  of  a  pale  reddish  color,  possesses 
but  slightly  the  odor  and  taste  of  the  root,  and  yields  precipitates 
with  gelatin  and  ferric  chloride,  bluish-black  with  the  latter ;  it  is  not 
disturbed  by  reagents  for  alkaloids,  contains  sugar,  and  the  extract 
obtained  on  evaporation  was  partially  soluble  in  alcohol. 
The  decoction,  on  the  addition  of  iodine,  became  blue,  but  the  color 
quickly  disappeared  at  first.  Stillingia  root  which  had  been  completely 
exhausted  with  alcohol  and  ether  showed  the  same  behavior,  but  the 
decoction  made  from  root  wliich  had  been  previously  macerated  in 
alcohol  acidulated  with  sulphuric  a(;id,  gave  a  permanent  blue  color  on 
