ON  PODOPHYLLUM  PELTATUM. 
209 
evaporated  to  a  syrup,  poured  into  cold  water,  and  the  precipi- 
tated podophyllin  washed  with  water  on  a  filter  and  dried.  It 
weighed  60  grs. 
On  the  13th  of  July,  another  pound  of  the  fresh  root  was  col- 
lected and  dried.  It  was  larger  and  more  vigorous  in  its  growth 
than  the  first,  apparently,  but  it  yielded  but  2691  grs.,  showing 
a  greater  preponderance  of  water,  as  the  cause  of  its  increased 
size.  Of  this  the  author  took  1920  grs.  and  treated  it  by  perco- 
lation with  alcohol,  etc.,  as  in  the  previous  experiment,  and  ob- 
tained 67  grs.  of  podophyllin. 
On  the  19th  of  August  a  third  pound  was  collected  and  dried, 
the  dry  residuum  weighing  but  1968.75  grs.  and  presented  a 
more  shriveled  appearance.  1920  grs.  yielded  seventy  grains 
of  podophyllin,  when  treated  as  before  described. 
On  the  17th  of  September,  the  fourth  pound  was  collected 
and  dried.  The  loss  was  about  the  same  as  the  lost,  and  1920 
grs.  of  the  dried  root  yielded  74  grs.  of  podophyllin. 
These  results  may  be  tabulated  as  follows  : 
7000  grs.  podophyllum  collected  June  25,  lost  by  drying  3923.5  grs. 
7000    "  "  "        July  13,    "  "      4309.  " 
7000    "  "  "        Aug.  19,   "  "      5031.25  " 
7000    "  "  "        Sept.  17,   "  "      5031.  " 
After  making  a  due  allowance  for  the  loss  by  drying,  so  as 
to  get  at  the  actual  amount  of  resin  (podophyllin)  yielded  by 
each  pound,  the  following  tabulated  statement  exhibits  the  pro- 
portion of  resin  in  each  specimen. 
7000  grs.  podophyllum  collected  June  25,  contained  96  grs.  resin  or  1.37  p.  ct. 
7000    "  "  «         July  13,         "        94    "       "         1.34  " 
7000    "  "  "        Aug.  19,        "       71    "       »        1.01  " 
7000    "  "  «         Sept.  17.       "       76    "       •<        1.08  " 
The  author  then  took  100  grains  of  podophyllum  resin,  as 
prepared  by  the  foregoing,  experiment,  treated  it  with  ether 
till  exhausted,  leaving  a  residue  of  only  15  grains,  whilst  by 
evaporating  the  ether  85  grs.  of  resin,  soluble  in  that  liquid,  re- 
sulted. 
The  author  then  experimented  with  the  view  of  ascertaining 
the  relative  activity  of  the  two  resins,  and  says  :  «  I  satisfac- 
torily proved  by  repeated  experiments  upon  myself,  and  asso- 
ciate in  the  store,  that  the  alcoholic  [resin]  was  much  the 
stronger  cathartic,  and  not  the  ethereal,  as  stated  by  former 
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