12  Color  Reactions  from  Acer  spicatum.  {  Af^J^ 
former.  He  also  found  that  the  ether  extract  from  rhubarb,  ob- 
tained in  a  process  similar  to  that  used  for  Borntrager's  test,  when 
shaken  with  a  saturated  solution  of  ferrous  sulphate,  imparts  a  deep 
blue  color  to  the  aqueous  solution  ;  also,  that  when  the  same  ether 
extract  was  shaken  with  calcium  hypochlorite  solution  a  red  color 
developed  in  the  aqueous  solution. 
The  fluidextract  of  Acer  spicatum  (supposed  Viburnum  opulus) 
which  had  been  prepared  eight  months  before,  was  examined  by 
these  tests  in  the  following  manner : 
The  diluted,  acidified  fluidextract  was  shaken  with  one  eighth 
of  its  volume  of  ether  (not  petroleum  ether)  and  the  ether  layer 
decanted  off  and  used  for  the  tests.  When  underlaid  with  10  per 
cent,  ammonia  water  a  brilliant  red  ring  appeared  at  once.  When 
shaken  with  a  saturated  solution  of  ferrous  sulphate  the  same  deep 
blue  color  found  by  Hubbard  with  rhubarb  extracts  appeared  in  the 
aqueous  layer.  However,  when  shaken  with  calcium  hypochlorite 
solution,  only  a  faint  yellow  color  appeared  in  the  aqueous  layer. 
The  fluidextract  itself  appeared  to  have  become  darker  in  color. 
These  tests  were  also  tried  on  several  extracts  of  Viburnum 
prunifolium  with  negative  results,  only  a  slight  yellow  color  being 
imparted  to  the  aqueous  solution  in  any  of  the  tests. 
Some  months  later  the  author  entered  the  Laboratory  of  the 
American  Medical  Association.  There  were  available  samples  of 
fluidextracts  of  Acer  spicatum  and  Viburnum  opulus  prepared  by 
Mr.  L.  E.  Warren  from  drugs  which  had  been  carefully  identified 
by  a  pharmacognosist.  The  fluidextract  of  Acer  spicatum  was 
about  four  months  old  when  tested,  that  of  Viburnum  opulus  thir- 
teen months. 
These  were  subjected  to  the  above  tests.  The  fluidextract  of 
Acer  spicatum  gave  the  tests  described  very  positively,  just  as  the 
fluidextract  which  the  author  had  prepared  had  done.  That  of 
Viburnum  opulus  gave  results  exactly  similar  to  those  previously  ob- 
tained with  fluidextracts  of  Viburnum  prunifolium. 
The  author  was  thus  led  to  believe  that  the  sample  from  which 
the  fluidextract  on  which  he  had  worked  previously  had  been  pre- 
pared was  in  fact  Acer  spicatum.  The  report  of  the  Bureau's  phar- 
macognosist later  bore  out  this  fact. 
A  fresh  fluidextract  of  Acer  spicatum  was  prepared  from  the 
standardized  material  available.  Immediately  after  preparation  it 
was  found  to  give  the  tests  with  ammonia  water  and  ferrous  sulphate 
