530 
Some  Notes  on  Jalap. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I  November,  1900. 
Prof.  F.  A.  Fluckiger,  commenting  on  this  report  of  Dr.  Squibb, 
offers  the  assertion  that  "  since  twenty  years  ago  jalap  tubers  yield- 
ing xo-176  per  cent,  of  resin  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  that 
now  (1890)  none  yielding  10  per  cent,  can  be  obtained."  .The 
cause  of  inferiority  was  the  partial  extraction  of  resin  by  the  dealer 
in  Mexico. 
E.  Dieterich  found  the  yield  for  1888  and  1889  to  have  been  71 
per  cent.,  77  per  cent,  and  8-1  per  cent. 
M.  Bouriz  (Proc.  A.  Ph.  A.,  1883,  p.  1 19)  extracted  jalap  according 
to  Codex  method,  with  the  following  results : 
Picked  commercial  jalap  gave  12-5  per  cent.,  7-5  per  cent.,  10-5 
per  cent.,  and  8  per  cent,  of  resin. 
Virgil  Coblentz  {Ibid.,  1883,  p.  120)  assayed  twelve  samples  of 
powdered  jalap,  and  results  varied  from  3-8-16-2  per  cent,  of  resin, 
with  an  average  of  8-1  per  cent. 
"The  process  recognized  by  the  German  Pharmacopoeia  {Ibid.y 
1883,  p.  120)  for  distinguishing  between  light  and  heavy  jalap  consists 
in  assay  for  resin.  This  is  too  circumstantial,  and  what  is  more,  can 
be  extended  to  only  one  tuber." 
Dr.  H.  Hager  resorts  to  specific  gravity  to  separate  light  from 
heavy  tubers. 
He  employs  a  solution  of  common  salt,  specific  gravity  1-140— 
1-142  at  1 5°-i7°  C,  and  says:  "Not  less  than  90  per  cent,  of 
tubers  immersed  should  sink;  all  of  which  do  not  should  be 
rejected."  For  good  tubers  have  a  specific  gravity  of  between  1*15 
and  i-i 8. 
F.  W.  Aycock  (Proc.  A.  Ph.  A.,  1893,  p.  409)  remarks  that  "  ex- 
amination of  many  samples  of  powdered  jalap  confirms  the  often 
expressed  opinion  that  the  official  standard  of  12  per  cent,  of  resin- 
ous constituents  is  too  high." 
Mr.  GofT  (Michigan  Ph.  Ass.  Proc,  1898,  p.  52)  examined  eight 
specimens  of  the  drug,  with  the  following  results :  6-75  per  cent.,  8-36 
per  cent.,  8-45  per  cent.,  9*44  per  cent.,  9-69  per  cent.,  8  44  per  cent., 
10-33  Per  cent.,  8-o8  per  cent,  of  resin. 
The  author  of  the  present  paper,  at  the  suggestion  of  Professor 
Kraemer,  considered  the  following  points  in  the  valuation  of  this  drug : 
(1)  Specific  gravity;  (2)  assay;  (3)  quantitative  microscopical 
estimation  of  crystals ;  (4)  quantitative  microscopical  estimation  of 
starch. 
