178  Extr actum  Colocynthidis  Coynpositum.  {Al  ^Sfcf:?  ^ 
etherial  solution  was  now  colorless,  and  on  evaporation  left  a  thick  oil> 
which  gradually  concreted  into  a  butyraceous  mass,  composed  of  micro- 
scopic crystalline  lamellae,  and  afterwards  formed  prisms  weighing  about 
2.5  grams.  It  is  soluble  in  water  and  diluted  acids,  has  a  bitter  taste 
like  quinia,  is  white,  easily  turning  yellow,  and  when  heated  fuses  and 
partly  volatilizes.  Its  salts  burn  with  a  hornlike  odor,  leaving  a  volu- 
minous charcoal,  and  in  solution  become  dark-colored  and  odorous. 
This  heliotropia  is  precipitated  by  tannin,  potassio-iodide  of  mercury, 
potassio-iodide  of  bismuth,  biniodide  of  potassium  and  picric  acid  y 
alkalies  separate  it  in  white  oily  drops  ;  bromine  converts  it  into  a  resin- 
like mass.  Froehde's  reagent  produces  a  brown,  and  potatsium  bichro- 
mate with  sulphuric  acid  a  green  color.  It  is  not  affected  by  acids, 
platinic  or  mercuric  chloride.  The  sulphate  and  hydrochlorate  could 
not  be  obtained  crystallized.  The  alkaloid  is  poisonous,  but  requires 
larger  doses  than  either  strychnia  or  morphia.  Heliotropium  peruvianum 
appears  to  contain  a  larger  proportion  of  the  alkaloid.  Hel.  supinum 
and  curassavicum  have  not  vet  been  examined  by  the  author. — Rep.  de 
Phar.,  1876,  p.  673  and  739. 
EXTRACTUM  COLOCYNTHIDIS  COMPOSITUM, 
By  Olaf  Martin  Oleson,  Ph.G. 
{Abstract  fram  a  thesis  presented  to  tJie  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.) 
It  has  been  the  author's  aim  to  devise  a  process  by  which  the  quality 
of  the  compound  extract  of  colocynth  may  be  approximately  deter- 
mined. Since  the  active  principles  of  the  different  ingredients  cannot 
be  readily  isolated  and  no  methods  are  known  for  determining  them 
quantitatively  (perhaps  scammonv  resin  excepted),  it  was  determined 
to  try  the  effects  of  simple  solvents  upon  the  alcoholic  extracts  of  the 
ingredients  with  the  view  of  making  use  thereof  for  the  determination 
of  the  purity  of  the  officinal  extract. 
The  different  ingredients  entering  into  the  compound  extract  of 
colocynth  experimented  upon,  were  selected  from  the  best  in  the  mar- 
ket. The  resin  of  scammony  answered  to  the  tests  of  the  U.  S.  P. 
The  extract  of  colocynth,  as  also  the  purified  aloes,  were  prepared 
according  to  the  "  Pharmacopoeia."  The  cardamoms  were  freshly 
powdered.  The  soap  was  obtained  from  good  commercial  u  white 
Castile,"  dried  on  a  water-bath  and  powdered. 
The  course  of  analysis  pursued  was  as  follows  :  Ten  (10)  grams 
each  of  the  different  ingredients  were  percolated,  separately,  with 
stronger  alcohol,  until  the  percolate  passed  colorless  and  tasteless  ;  the 
