AmAu^"t*  igu™'}  Constituents  of  Andrographis  Paniculata.  353 
The  simplest  formula  is  C19H280;5. 
The  molecular  weight  of  the  bitter  principle  as  determined  from 
the  bromo-compounds  is  1015,  which  is  exactly  six  times  that  of 
the  empirical  formula. 
The  acetyl  derivative  gave  the  following  analytical  data : 
It  contains  1.74  per  cent,  of  water. 
0.0697  Gm.  of  it  gave  0.1863  Gm.  of  C02  and  0.05056  Gm.  of 
H20. 
Hence  C  76.2  H  8.06. 
Examination  of  the  Bitter  Principle  (B). 
It  was  a  white  amorphous  substance  having  an  extremely  bitter 
taste.  It  is  odorless,  and  its  melting-point  is  185 0  C.  It  is  practi- 
cally insoluble  in  cold  water.  When  a  little  of  the  substance  was 
boiled  for  a  long  time  with  water  the  latter  acquired  a  slightly  acid 
reaction.  It  is  soluble  in  alcohol  and  chloroform.  In  the  Pharma- 
cographia  of  Fluckiger  and  Hanbury  it  is  said  that  an  infusion 
gives  a  voluminous  precipitate  with  tannic  acid,  but  this  property 
was  altogether  found  to  be  absent.  Most  probably  in  the  former  case 
the  precipitate  was  due  to  the  presence  of  some  albuminous  matter. 
Sulphuric  acid  produces  an  orangish-yellow  color;  when  potassium 
dichromate  is  added  to  the  above  the  color  changes  as  one  to  yellow- 
green,  which  through  greenish-brown  finally  passes  to  deep  grass- 
green.  If  the  substance  be  mixed  with  potassium  dichromate  before 
the  addition  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  the  acid  then  added,  the  color 
first  produced  is  brown,  but  the  final  color  in  this  case  also  is  deep 
grass-green. 
Strong  sulphuric  acid  containing  a  trace  of  nitric  acid  gives  a 
brown  color. 
Strong  sulphuric  acid  containing  a  trace  of  ammonium  vanadate 
produces  a  brown  color,  changing  to  violet. 
Strong  nitric  acid  does  not  produce  any  change. 
0.409  Gm.  gave  0.0448  Gm.  of  H20  and  0.0930  Gm.  of  C02. 
C  62.01,  H<  14.88  and  O  23.01, 
The  formula  C19H5105  is  given  to  it,  for  which  the  theoretical 
values  are — 
C  62.24,  H  14.7  O  23.01. 
The  name  Kalmeghin  is  proposed  for  it. 
A  white  substance  separated  out  when  bitter  (b)  was  treated 
with  an  acid. 
