ON SENNA LEAVES. 
67 
ART. XVL— ON SENNA LEAVES. 
BY F. L. BLEY AND F. DIESEL. 
Messrs. Bley and Diesel have submitted Senna obovaia, 
S. Alexandrina and S. Tinnevelly, to chemical examina- 
tion, and obtained the following results: Volatile oil and 
malic acid could not be discovered in the senna. The leaves 
of Cassia lanceolata and of C. obovata left 11 or 12 per 
cent, of alkaline ashes, in which chloride of potassium, 
traces of lime, magnesia, and soda, were found mostly com- 
bined with carbonic acid, and also phosphoric and silicic 
acids. Senna leaves also contain a peculiar yellow resin, 
probably the same which Feneulle obtained in the impure 
state from senna-pods. Messrs. Bley and Diesel call it 
Chrysoretin. The brown resin and the brown extractive 
matter, which was called by Lassaigne and Feneulle Ca- 
thartin, cannot be completely separated from each other. 
Pectin, gummy extractive matter, chlorophylle, and a 
small quantity oifat, were also found. 
Although the authors were not able to isolate the active 
principle, yet they are of opinion that Alexandrian senna is 
more active than either the obovate or Tinnevelly senna, 
because it yields a larger quantity of a spirituous extract, 
having a superior odor and taste. This property is used as 
a measure, for spirit of wine also dissolves almost all the 
constituents which water takes up from the leaves. At the 
same time, it is observed as a striking circumstance, that 
the alcoholic extract of half an ounce of senna (which had 
been perfectly exhausted by spirit of wine) produced only 
nausea and uneasiness, and could therefore contain but 
little of the active principle. As regards experiments con- 
cerning the efficacy of the individual constituents of senna, 
we have the following results: — the chrysoretin, in doses 
of from 30 to 45 grs., remained without effect ; the brown 
resin, in doses of from 15 to 80 grs., did not operate upon 
