Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1894. 
American  Colocynth. 
277 
(IV)  Amyloid  Principles. — The  dregs  from  //7  were  treated  with 
water  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid  for  six  hours,  and  the  solution 
tested  quantitatively  for  sugar.  The  result  multiplied  by  -9  was 
noted  as  amyloid  substance. 
(V)  Cellulose. — The  dregs  from  /Fwere  first  treated  with  alka- 
line water  (2  per  cent.  K-OH)  washed  with  water,  then  with  ether 
and  alcohol,  the  dried  residue  weighed,  ignited  and  again  weighed  ; 
the  weight  was  noted  (that  is  the  difference  between  the  last  two 
weights)  as  cellulose. 
(VI)  Albuminoid  Principles. — By  the  Kjeldahl  method  the  nitro- 
gen was  determined,  which,  by  the  usual  factor,  was  converted  into 
albumen. 
An  hydro-alcoholic  extract,  using  the  official  menstruum,  was  also 
made. 
Parallel  determinations  of  these  extracts  and  constituents  were 
made  with  the  powder  of  the  dried  pulp  of  the  imported  fruit. 
SUMMARY  OF  ANALYSIS. 
Comparing  the  American  with  the  imported  colocynth.  Percent- 
ages calculated  from  oven-dried  powder : 
Extracts  and  Constituents.  Imported. 
American. 
3*2i 
4'62 
(a)  Fat.  (Petroleum-ether  extract  from  I), 
i'ii 
•521 
(b)  Resin  from  I,  soluble  in  alcohol  and 
•64 
•48 
(II)     Alcoholic  extract  (of  dregs  from  I),  .... 
16-61 
23*23 
Principles  acting  as  reducing  sugar  in  II, 
2-15 
IO'3I 
31:07 
24-69 
9  "36 
.12  "6l 
(IV)     Amyloid  principles  (in  dregs  of  III),  .... 
2*07 
2'34 
(V)  Cellulose,  
13*5 
1476 
I4'3i 
14*69 
(VII)  Ash,  
976 
6'oi 
68 
7 '9 
32 '68 
38-87 
*What  is  meant  here  by  air-dry  powder,  with  reference  to  American  Colocynth,  is  a 
powder  dried  at  as  low  temperature  as  possible— not  dried  to  constant  weight.  It  may  be 
said  that  the  fresh  pulp,  deprived  of  seeds,  contained  about  92  per  cent,  of  moisture. 
It  may  be  stated  that  the  aqueous  extract  (III)  was  scarcely  bit- 
ter, most  all  of  the  bitter  principles  being  extracted  by  the  solvents 
I  and  II  I  regret  that  the  quantity  of  pDwderleft  after  the  above 
treatment  was  not  sufficient  to  make  it  worth  while  to  continue  the 
effort  to  isolate  the  bitter  principle,  Colocynthin.    I  hope  to  do  this 
