178  Analysis  of  Poly  gala  Senega.        { Am\£SS:  E^"0* 
A  PROXIMATE  ANALYSIS  OF  POLYGALA  SENEGA.  — 
By  J.  Henry  Schroeder. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy,  No.  152. 
The  chemistry  of  Polygala  Senega  has  been  carefully  elaborated 
by  a  number  of  previous  investigators.1 
The  most  important  constituents  and  active  principles  have  been 
pointed  out,  and  the  absence  of  a  number  of  constituents  has  been 
proven.  The  results,  however,  still  indicate  that  something  is 
lacking;  for  in  the  absence  of  starch,  tannin,  inulin,  and  notable  quan- 
tities of  sugars,  mucilage  and  pectin,  the  soluble  constituents  of  the 
drug  are  not  all  accounted  for.  With  this  fact  in  mind,  a  preliminary 
investigation  was  undertaken  by  following  Dragendorff 's  scheme, 
and  then  special  extractions  and  estimations  were  made,  with  results 
to  be  given  in  the  latter  part  of  this  contribution. 
Petroleum  ether  extracted  5-62  per  cent,  of  volatile  and  fixed  oils. 
This  residue,  when  heated  in  an  air  bath  at  a  temperature  of  no° 
C,  was  deprived  of  0-12  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil ;  as  has  been  pointed 
out  by  other  investigators,  this  volatile  oil  is  composed  largely  of 
methyl  salicylate.  L.  Reuter  pronounced  the  presence  of  0-25-0-33 
per  cent,  of  methyl  salicylate.  The  remaining  fixed  oil  amounted 
to  5-50  per  cent.;  it  was  of  a  yellowish-brown  color,  neutral  in  reac- 
tion, and  of  a  peculiar  odor.  It  saponified  in  both  aqueous  and 
alcoholic  potash  solution  ;  the  specific  gravity  of  the  oil  was  approxi- 
mately 0  936  at  25 0  C. 
The  concentrated  ether  extract  represented  2-30  per  cent,  of  the 
drug.  Its  color  was  slightly  yellowish,  and,  when  viewed  under  a 
lens,  presented  an  oily  appearance.  Cold  distilled  water  dissolved 
0-16  per  cent,  of  this  extract;  the  aqueous  solution  readily  reduced 
Fehling's  solution.  The  test  for  alkaloids  was  applied  with  nega- 
tive results. 
The  resinous  extractive  was  entirely  soluble  in  hot  95  per  cent, 
alcohol,  and  amounted  to  2- 14  per  cent. 
Absolute  alcohol  extracted  6-56  per  cent,  of  the  drug ;  the  result- 
1  1804.  Gehlen,  Berliner  Jakresd.,  112. 
1836.  Quevenne,  Journ.  de  Pharm.,  22,  449. 
i860.  Procter,  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  32,  149. 
188 1.  Goebel,  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  53,  321. 
1889.  Reuter,  Archiv  der  Pharm.,  309  and  452. 
