262 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  ECBALINE. 
a  small  quantity  of  greenish  extract.  This  greenish  extract  was 
then  treated  with  about  8  times  its  bulk  of  hot  liquor  potassa. 
After  digesting  for  a  short  time,  the  greater  portion  of  the  mat- 
ter dissolved,  leaving,  however,  when  filtered,  washed,  and  dried, 
30  grains  of  nearly  white  crystalline  matter,  which  proved  to  be 
the;  ecbaline  we  were  in  search  of. 
Extract  No.  1  was  treated  in  like  manner,  and  yielded  57 
grains  of  matter,  insoluble  in  liquor  potassa,  but  Of  a  dark  green- 
ish-brown color.  Both  these  deposits  were  then  dissolved  in 
boiling  alcohol,  a  very  small  quantity  of  pure  animal  charcoal 
added,  filtered,  and  allowed  to  crystallize. 
The  matter  from  extract  No.  1  yielded  28 J  grs.  of  ecbaline, 
white  and  crystallized.  The  matter,  however,  from  No.  2  ex- 
tract refused  to  yield  crystals,  and  gave  only  a  dark  colored 
fatty  mass,  which  after  another  trial  at  crystallization  yielded 
no  better  result.  It  was  then  attempted  to  dissolve  the  fatty 
matter  from  any  ecbaline  which  might  be  present  by  means  of  a 
small  quantity  of  cold  ether,  but  no  good  effect  was  produced, 
the  whole  mass  dissolving  freely  in  that  menstruum,  whereas 
ecbaline  is  but  slightly  soluble  in  it. 
The  result  of  the  experiment  appeared  so  unsatisfactory  and 
so  different  from  what  was  anticipated,  that  I  determined  to  re- 
peat the  experiment,  though  in  a  rather  different  manner. 
One  bushel  of  wild  cucumbers  was  again  taken.  They  were 
cut  up  with  the  same  precautions  as  before,  catching  all  the  juice 
carefully  ;  then  well  bruised  in  a  large  mortar,  the  mass  placed 
upon  sieves  and  allowed  to  drain.  They  were  then  stirred  up 
%  with  about  their  own  bulk  of  cold  water,  allowed  to  drain,  and 
then  subjected  to  strong  pressure  through  very  coarse  canvas. 
By  this  means  a  considerable  amount  of  juice  was  obtained, 
which  upon  standing  separated  into  three  portions — an  insolu- 
ble green  deposit  (the  extract  of  elaterium),  and  a  large  quantity 
of  coagulated  chlorophyll,  floating  in  a  clear  aqueous  liquid. 
The  whole  was  thrown  upon  a  calico  filter,  and  the  solid  matter, 
after  being  well  drained  from  the  liquid  portions,  dried  between 
chalk  stones.  When  dry  it  weighed  2j  oz.  The  aqueous  por- 
tion was  evaporated  to  the  consistence  of  an  extract. 
The  mass  of  the  cucumbers,  after  the  juice  had  been  thus 
pressed  out,  was  dried  as  in  the  first  experiment,  digested  in 
