266 
Crystallized  Digitaline. 
i  Am.  Jour.  Phaem 
t    June  1,  1872.  * 
stead  of  water,  as  ordered  in  the  French  Codex.  He  found  that  while 
the  product  obtained  by  an  aqueous  maceration  contained  chiefly  an 
amorphous  principle,  soluble  in  all  proportions  in  water,  which  he  pro- 
posed to  call  digitaleine,  the  residue,  usually  rejected  as  useless  and 
completely  exhausted,  contained  nearly  all  the  active  crystallizable 
principle,  together  with  another  very  bitter  principle,  approaching  it 
in  its  properties,  but  not  crystallizable.  The  alcoholic  tincture  so 
prepared  was  distilled,  and  the  residue  of  the  distillation  concentrated 
to  a  weight  equal  to  that  of  the  digitalis  originally  used.  Here  the 
author  introduces  a  modification  based  upon  what  is  generally  observed 
where  several  principles  exist  simultaneously  in  the  same  plant,  that 
these  exercise  towards  each  other  a  particular  influence,  which  deter- 
mines or  favors  their  reciprocal  solution  in  the  same  liquid.  This 
faculty,  however,  is  manifested  chiefly  in  a  concentrated  solution,  be- 
ing weakened  or  completely  annulled  when  the  solution  is  diluted. 
Thus,  a  concentrated  solution  of  opium  may  contain,  not  only  the 
principles  dissolved  directly  by  the  water,  but  also  more  or  less  resin 
carried  into  solution  by  the  influence  of  those  principles,  and  which 
separates  when  the  solution  is  diluted  by  a  certain  proportion  of  water* 
So  with  digitalis,  in  the  concentrated  solution  that  represents  the  pro- 
duct of  evaporation  after  the  alcohol  is  driven  off,  is  found  in  solution, 
not  only  the  principles  directly  soluble  in  water,  like  digitaleine,  but 
other  principles,  such  as  digitaline  and  digitine,  which,  insoluble  in 
themselves,  are  kept  in  solution  by  the  influence  of  the  preceding  in 
a  concentrated  solution.  If,  however,  this  solution  be  diluted  by  three 
times  its  weight  of  water,  a  gradually  augmenting  viscous  deposit  is 
formed,  which  represents  nearly  the  whole  of  the  digitaline,  accom- 
panied, it  is  true,  by  digitine  and  coloring  matter,  but  freed  from  the 
digitaleine  and  other  soluble  principles — according  to  the  author  the 
chief  obstacles  to  crystallization. 
In  order  to  extract  from  the  viscous  deposit  the  two  crystallizable 
principles  that  it  contains,  it  is  to  be  dried  in  the  open  air,  upon  folds 
of  filtering  paper,  and  afterwards  treated  with  twice  its  weight  of  boil- 
ing proof  spirit.  The  filtered  solution,  left  in  a  cool  place,  is  quickly 
covered  on  the  surface  with  crystals,  which  also  form  on  the  side  of 
the  vessel.  This  gaes  on  for  eight  or  nine  days  before  the  liquor  is 
completely  exhausted.  The  crystals  are  then  separated,  and  after 
washing  with  weak  alcohol  are  nearly  completely  colorless.  The  digi- 
taline is  then  separated  from  the  digitine  by  successive  treatment  of 
