Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
December,  1894.  / 
Rubus  Villosus. 
583 
greater  solubility  in  alcohol,  sp.  gr.  -820,  and  in  hot  alkali  hydrate 
solutions,  with  the  development  of  yellow  color.  When  heated  to 
2650  no  signs  of  melting,  but  a  distinct  charring,  was  noticed.  It 
burned  with  a  bright,  yellowish  flame  and  left  no  residue.  Its  aque- 
ous and  alcoholic  solutions  were  precipitated  by  both  normal  and 
basic  lead  acetate. 
Fehling's  solution  was  slightly  reduced,  and  silver  nitrate  suffered 
a  slow  reduction.  With  one  drop  each  of  sulphuric  acid  and  water, 
the  substance  produced  a  brownish  solution,  which  turned  to  dark- 
violet  when  warmed,  and  finally  to  a  deep-blue  color.  Sulphuric 
and  nitric  acids  gave  an  orange-red  color,  which  was  destroyed  by 
heat  and  the  addition  of  water. 
This  substance  was  evidently  the  decomposition  product  of  villo- 
sin,  termed  by  Krauss  villosic  acid. 
Upon  the  evaporation  of  the  ether,  with  which  the  crystalline 
mass  was  treated,  an  inodorous,  acrid  and  bitter  substance  of  a  yel- 
low color  was  obtained.  An  attempt  was  made  to  crystallize  it  from 
alcohol,  sp.  gr.  -794,  but  it  separated  as  an  amorphous,  resinous 
body,  insoluble  in  water,  sparingly  soluble  in  hot  alkaline  solutions, 
but  easily  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  chloroform.  An  alcoholic 
solution  of  it,  when  poured  into  water,  produced  a  white  precipitate. 
The  same  solution  was  not  affected  by  ferric  chloride,  sodium 
hydrate  nor  an  alcoholic  solution  of  lead  acetate.  The  substance 
did  not  reduce  Fehling's  solution.  Upon  the  application  of  heat,  it 
melted,  burned  and  left  no  ash.  A  mixture  of  sulphuric  and  nitric 
acids  dissolved  it  without  color. 
One  drop  of  sulphuric  acid  and  two  drops  of  water  produced,  when 
slightly  warmed,  a  purplish  color,  which  changed  to  brownish-black. 
The  filtrate  from  the  crude  product  of  the  action  of  boiling 
hydrochloric  acid,  as  mentioned  before,  was  concentrated  and  then 
allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously  over  sulphuric  acid,  whereby  a 
brownish  residue  was  obtained.  This  was  dissolved  in  boiling  alco- 
hol, sp.  gr.  -820,  treated  with  animal  charcoal  and  the  filtrate  after 
concentration  set  aside.  The  amorphous  residue  that  was  left  upon 
the  vaporization  of  the  solvent  was  completely  soluble  in  water,  and 
with  Fehling's  solution  gave  abundant  evidence  of  the  presence  of 
glucose. 
The  results  of  the  above  experiments  lead  the  author  to  consider 
the  glucosidal  principle  termed  villosin  as  one  of  the  saponins. 
