252 
Constituents  of  Ericaceous  Plants. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\    June  i,  1872. 
used  in  the  early  part  of  the  process.  Neutralized  with  bicarbonate 
soda  and  redistilled,  the  odor  remained  intact,  and  the  distillates 
possessed  a  slight  acid  reaction.  Neutralizing  the  residue  with  ni- 
tric acid,  treating  with  sesqui  salts  of  iron,  produced  in  each  a  red 
color,  which  was  removed  upon  the  addition  of  a  strong  acid.  Nitrate 
of  silver  and  protonitrate  of  mercury  gave  precipitates  which,  by  heat, 
liberated  the  metals  in  the  case  of  Epigcea  repens,  but  not  so  in  that 
of  G-aultheria.  With  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  sulphuric  added,  each 
gave  an  odor  characteristic  of  acetic  ether,  indicating  acetic  acid* 
The  reaction  with  the  solution  from  Epigcea  repens  indicated  the 
probable  presence  of  formic  acid. 
An  infusion  of  Uva  ursi  was  also  distilled  in  the  presence  of  sul- 
phuric acid.  The  odor  of  the  distillate  was  found,  on  comparison,  to 
be  quite  similar  to  those  referred  to,  that  from  G-aultheria  varying 
somewhat,  perhaps  owing  to  the  volatile  oil. 
A  portion  of  the  dried  leaves  remaining  from  the  infusions  was 
treated  by  percolation  with  alcohol;  the  resulting  tinctures  were  of  a, 
deep  green  color,  that  from  G-aultheria  possessing  a  beautiful  emerald 
hue.  Allowing  the  tinctures  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  the  residue 
was  put  upon  a  filter  and  washed  with  alcohol  to  remove  the  chloro- 
phyll :  that  from  Epigaia  repens  parted  with  this  coloring  matter 
more  readily  than  Gaultheria  ;  urson  was  not  obtained  in  a  pure  state, 
but  sufficiently  so  to  be  sublimed  in  a  test  tube.  The  action  of  reagents 
could  not  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  principles  isolated,  owing  to 
the  presence  of  chlorophyll,  but  as  far  as  examined  they  agree  with 
urson. 
A  portion  of  the  precipitates  obtained  by  treating  the  infusions 
with  acetate  of  lead  was  freed  from  lead.  The  presence  of  tannin  in 
the  solution  was  indicated  by  the  production  of  precipitates  with  so- 
lutions of  gelatine,  salts  of  iron  (black),  tin,  mercury,  copper,  silver 
(a  liberation  of  the  metal  by  heat),  and  by  the  deep  red  color  with  al- 
kalies. After  freeing  the  solution  from  tannin  by  gelatine,  several 
reagents  indicated  the  presence  of  gallic  acid.  After  evaporating  a 
portion  of  the  solution  with  some  sand  to  dryness,  and  subliming  in 
Mohr's  benzoic  acid  apparatus,  pyrogallic  acid  was  not  obtained ; 
therefore  gallic  acid  is  not  present,  but  a  principle  having  similar 
reactions.    Trommer's  test  gave  reactions  indicating  grape  sugar. 
A  concentrated  infusion  of  the  leaves  was  precipitated  by  alcohol, 
and  the  dried  precipitate  was  found  to  contain  gum. 
