THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
OCTOBER,  1878. 
ADDITIONAL  NOTES  ON   C HAMULI RIN   AND  ITS 
DECOMPOSITION  PRODUCT,  CHAM^ELIRETIN. 
By  Francis  V.  Greene,  M.D.,  U.S  N. 
Immediately  after  the  publication  in  this  journal  (May,  1878,  p. 
250)  of  the  paper  on  Chamaelirin,  a  series  of  experiments  were  made 
to  ascertain  its  physiological  action,  during  the  course  of  which  it 
became  strikingly  apparent  that  in  several  particulars  its  toxic  effects 
were  precisely  similar  to  those  produced  by  saponin.  The  employ- 
ment of  absolute  alcohol  as  the  means  of  extracting  the  bitter  sub- 
stance from  the  magnesia  mass,  proved  conclusively  that  it  could  not 
be  saponin,  as  all  authorities,  with  the  exception  of  Bley,  who  states 
that  it  is  soluble  in  400  parts  of  absolute  alcohol,  agree  in  regard  to 
the  insolubility  of  this  glucoside  in  absolute  alcohol.  As,  however, 
there  remained  the  possibility  that,  in  case  the  chamaelirium  root  con- 
tained saponin,  the  alcohol  used  in  the  extraction  might  have  dissolved 
a  sufficient  quantity  to  account  for  the  chemical  reactions  and  the  poi- 
sonous effects  of  the  chamaelirin,  it  seemed  advisable  to  ascertain  the 
precise  action  of  the  absolute  alcohol  employed  on  saponin  itself. 
Accordingly,  some  saponin,  prepared  by  Gehe  &  Co.,  of  Dresden, 
after  being  well  dried,  was  heated  with  a  portion  of  the  same  kind  of 
absolute  alcohol  (Squibb's)  that  had  been  used  throughout  the  experi- 
ments, the  mixture  set  aside,  and,  after  the  saponin  had  settled,  a  por- 
tion of  the  liquid  filtered  off  and  evaporated  to  dryness  in  a  capsule. 
Distilled  water  was  then  placed  in  the  dish,  and  after  heating  for  some 
time  it  was  allowed  to  cool,  and  a  portion  was  transferred  to  a  test- 
tube.  On  agitating  the  liquid  no  frothing  was  produced.  This  expe- 
riment proves  that  even  had  the  thoroughly  dried  magnesia  mass  con- 
tained saponin,  this  glucoside  would  not  have  been  removed  by  this 
alcohol,  and  consequently  the  entire  freedom  of  the  chamaelirin  from 
saponin  may  be  considered  as  conclusively  established. 
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