Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
March,  1896.  j 
Root  of  Polygonum  Cnspidatum. 
161 
As  examination  showed  that  the  woody  portion  contained  but  lit- 
tle extractive  matter,  the  bark  only  was  employed. 
The  ground  root  bark  was  extracted  with  boiling  alcohol,  and  the 
resulting  orange-brown  extracts  evaporated  to  a  small  bulk.  This 
was  treated  with  water  and  extracted  with  ether,  which  removed 
small  quantities  of  emodin  and  wax.  An  addition  of  baryta  water 
to  the  aqueous  liquid  produced  a  dirty  white  precipitate,  which  was 
removed  by  filtration.  The  deep  red  filtrate,  after  being  neutralized 
with  acetic  acid  and  saturated  with  common  salt,  was  extracted 
with  a  large  volume  of  ethylic  acetate,  and  the  extract  evaporated. 
This  treatment  furnished  a  product  which  appeared  under  the 
microscope  as  a  mixture  of  gelatinous  and  crystalline  matter.  This 
mixture  was  dissolved  in  boiling  alcohol.  On  evaporating  to  a 
small  bulk  and  cooling,  the  liquid  deposited  a  gelatinous  matter; 
directly  this  ceased  to  form,  it  was  rapidly  filtered,  and  the  crystal- 
line substance  which  separated  from  the  filtrate  was  collected  and 
purified  by  crystallization  from  acetic  acid.  It  then  consisted  of  a 
glistening  mass  of  orange-yellow  needles,  which,  when  heated, 
softened  at  200°  and  melted  at  202°-203°.  It  is  but  sparingly 
soluble  in  ethylic  acetate,  boiling  water  and  boiling  alcohol.  From 
its  solution  in  the  last  solvent  it  is  deposited  in  a  gelatinous  condi- 
tion if  rapidly  cooled,  but  when  left  to  cool  slowly  it  separates  as  a 
bulky  mass  of  hair-like  needles.  It  is  almost  insoluble  in  ether. 
With  cold  dilute  alkalies  or  baryta  water,  it  yields  orange-red 
liquids,  and  by  treating  a  boiling  alcoholic  solution  of  the  substance 
with  alcoholic  potash,  the  potassium  derivative  separates,  on  cool- 
ing, in  the  form  of  red,  flat,  microscopic  needles.  The  lead  salt,  an 
orange-red  amorphous  powder,  somewhat  soluble  in  boiling  water,  is 
formed,  when  lead  acetate  is  added  to  an  alcoholic  solution  of  the 
substance. 
Analyses  of  the  crystals  gave  the  following  numbers : 
Required  for 
„      .  CojHoqOio 
Carbon  58-28  58*48  58-48  58-33 
Hydrogen    ....   4-92  504  5-02  4-63 
Experiments  showed  the  substance  to  be  a  glucoside,  and,  in 
order  to  determine  its  nature,  a  solution  in  60  per  cent,  alcohol  was 
digested  at  the  boiling  heat  with  a  small  quantity  of  hydrochloric 
acid.  During  this  operation,  the  light  yellow  liquid  became  orange- 
red,  and  crystals  separated.    Water  was  added,  the  mixture  allowed 
