THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
JUNE,    1  874. 
MACLURA  AURANTIACA,  NUTTALL. 
By  Alexander  King,  G.  P. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  proximate  analysis  of  the  bark  of  the  root  of  this  tree  was 
undertaken  in  the  hope  of  proving  therein  the  existence  of  the  color- 
ing matters  known  as  morin  and  morotannin.  These  acids  were  ob- 
tained by  R.  Wagner  from  the  wood  of  Morus  tinctoria,  or  fustic,  and 
to  them  is  due  the  value  of  this  wood  as  a  dye-stuff.  Fustic  has  no 
use  whatever  in  medicine,  but  is  very  largely  consumed  in  the  arts  for 
dyeing  yellow,  and  for  this  purpose  alone  large  quantities  are 
imported  from  the  West  Indies  and  South  America.  The  Madura 
aurantiaca  is  very  abundant  in  the  southern  portions  of  our  republic, 
and  has  been  used  to  some  extent  as  a  substitute  for  fustic,  some  even 
asserting  its  superiority  over  the  latter.  A  coloring  matter  sold 
under  the  name  of  aurantin  has  been  looked  upon  as  an  extract  from 
the  wood  of  Madura  aurantiaca,*  and  is  said  to  be  much  stronger 
than  the  yellow  dye  known  as  flavin,  and  also  nearly  five  times  the 
strength  of  Persian  berries.  In  some  portions  of  the  South,  the 
wood  of  Madura  aurantiaca  is  not  only  used  for  dyeing,  but  also  for 
tanning.  From  these  facts,  as  also  from  the  physical  properties  of 
the  wood  of  the  Madura  aurantiaca,  and  its  close  botanical  relation 
to  Morus  tinctoria,  it  was  thought  the  same  acid  principles  could  be 
obtained  from  it.  With  this  object  in  view,  the  following  examina- 
tion was  made  in  the  laboratory  of  the  College,  and  the  results  show 
conclusively  that  these  principles  exist  in  Madura  aurantiaca,  though 
not  in  large  quantity. 
Madura  aurantiaca,  Nuttall,  natural  order  Urticaceae,  is  a  small 
bushy  tree,  rising  to  the  height  of  25  or  30  feet,  dividing  near  the 
*  See  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1872,  p.  299. 
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