Am.  Jour.  Pharm  \ 
August,  1887.  J 
Cypripedium  Parviflorum. 
395 
CYPRIPEDIUM  PARVIFLORUM. 
By  E.  S.  Beshore,  Ph.G. 
(Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay). 
An  analysis  of  the  rhizome  and  rootlets  of  the  above  plant  gave  the 
following  result : 
Fixed  oil   "48  per  cent. 
Volatile  oil  and  acid  02  " 
Resin  soluble  in  chloroform,  alcohol,  etc                  1.53  a 
Other  compounds  soluble  in  ether  49  " 
Glucose                                                             2.34  " 
Resin  and  phlobaphene.                                      3.08  " 
Mucilage                                                           3.92  " 
Dextrin  88  " 
Saccharose                                                        4.44  " 
Albuminoids                                                       6.00  " 
Starch                                                              6.56  " 
Cellulose  and  loss                                              49.15  " 
Moisture                                                          12.55  " 
Ash                                                                    5.98  " 
Undetermined                                                   2.58  " 
100.00  " 
A  peculiar  acid  was  found  in  the  portion  soluble  in  stronger  ether, 
allied  to  tannic  acid  but  distinct  from  it,  as  well  as  from  gallic  acid. 
The  extracts  which  might  contain  alkaloids  were  tested  with  potas- 
sium triodide,  potassio-mercuric  iodide,  tannic,  picric  and  phosphomo- 
lybdic  acids,  and  auric  and  platinic  chlorides,  with  negative  results,  as 
much  as  750  gms.  of  the  drug  being  used  for  one  series  of  tests,  with- 
out giving  any  alkaloidal  result.  700  gms.  of  the  original  drug  dis- 
tilled with  milk  of  lime  yielded  a  distillate  which  had  an  alkaline  re- 
action, and  upon  shaking  with  petroleum  spirit  yielded  on  evaporation 
of  that  solvent  a  few  yellowish-white  crystals,  which  were  sparingly 
soluble  in  acidulated  water.  This  solution  gave  a  purple  precipitate 
with  auric  chloride,  a  grayish  precipitate  with  platinic  chloride,  a 
white  one  with  phosphomolybdic  acid  and  a  turbidity  with  picric  acid. 
In  conclusion,  the  author  states  as  his  belief,  that  there  exists  no  crys- 
talline principle  in  the  plant  outside  of  the  volatile  constituent,  and 
that  only  in  a  very  small  amount. 
