A"j£j™i,  w£K'}     Constituents  of  Ericaceous  Plants.  251 
moved  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  the  solutions  filtered  and  heated 
to  remove  excess  of  hydrosulphuric  acid.  After  concentrating  and 
treating  with  ammonia  to  neutralize  the  acetic  acid  present,  then  with 
animal  charcoal,  and  washing  with  cold  water,  the  filtrates  were  re- 
duced by  heat,  and  set  aside  to  evaporate  spontaneously.  After 
several  days,  crystals  not  appearing,  a  portion  was  separated  and 
treated  with  alcohol,  leaving  a  large  per  cent,  of  insoluble  extractive 
matter.  The  alcoholic  solutions  were  allowed  to  evaporate  to  a 
syrupy  consistency,  but  without  the  formation  of  crystals. 
At  this  point  the  extract  of  Epigcea  repens  was  of  a  deep  reddish- 
brown  color,  very  much  resembling  liquorice  in  odor  and  taste.  On 
adding  sulphuric  acid  to  a  dilute  solution  of  this  extract,  no  precipi- 
tate was  produced  indicating  the  absence  of  glycyrrhizin. 
The  extracts  were  dissolved  in  water,  treated  with  animal  charcoal, 
washed,  and  the  filtrates  set  aside  to  evaporate,  but  failed  to  yield 
crystals.  The  charcoal  used  in  the  latter  case  was  digested  with  al- 
cohol. The  alcoholic  solutions  in  each  case  had  a  slight  color  ;  that 
from  Epigcea  repens  light  yellowish-brown,  from  Graultheria  light 
green.  Upon  evaporation  these  solutions  yielded  a  small  crop  of 
crystals. 
The  evaporation  was  continued  for  several  days,  with  the  hope  of 
a  large  yield ;  upon  examination  the  crystalline  structure  was  found 
in  a  great  measure  lost.  The  yield  was  too  small  to  apply  the  various 
tests  for  arbutin.  Jungmann's  test*  was  applied.  A  dilute  aqueous 
solution  rendered  alkaline  with  ammonia,  produced,  on  the  addition 
of  phosphomolybdic  acid,  a  blue  color. 
A  portion  of  the  reserved  aqueous  extract  was  submitted  to  like 
treatment,  producing  the  blue  reaction  due  to  arbutin  ;  the  formation 
of  crystals  and  the  reaction  with  phosphomolybdic  acid  warrant  the 
conclusion  that  arbutin  is  present  in  each  of  the  plants  under  consid- 
eration. However,  it  seems  present  in  a  much  smaller  proportion 
than  in  Uva  ursi  or  Chimaphila  umbellata,  and  separated  with  much 
more  difficulty. 
The  above  extracts  were  dissolved  in  a  dilute  solution  of  sulphuric 
acid  and  distilled,  the  distillates  possessing  a  peculiar  and  rather 
agreeable  odor,  indicating  the  presence  of  a  volatile  principle  lib- 
erated by  the  action  of  the  acid.  The  distillates  possessed  an  acid 
reaction,  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  acetic  acid  present  in  the  lead  salt 
*  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1871,  p.  207. 
