444 
Rumex  Nepalensis. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      August,  1896. 
and  lead  acetate  to  the  solution,  a  dirty-colored,  flocculent  precipitate 
was  formed.  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  dissolved  it  with  a  red 
color,  and  on  adding  some  water  to  the  solution,  nepalin  separated 
unaltered  in  yellow  flocks.  No  alkyl  iodide  was  developed  on  heat- 
ing it  with  hydriodic  acid,  according  to  Zeisel's  method,  but  it 
changed  to  a  brown  resin,  which  decomposed  on  exposure  to  the 
air. 
Diacetylnepalin. — By  treatment  with  acetic  anhydride,  nepalin 
exchanged  hydrogen  for  acetyl.  The  acetic  anhydride  and  nepalin 
were  heated  together  in  a  closed  tube  at  a  temperature  of  1400- 
1500,  and,  in  order  to  complete  the  reaction,  maintained  at  this 
temperature  for  one  hour.  The  solution  was  poured  from  the  tube 
while  yet  warm,  whereupon  the  acetyl  derivative  immediately  crys- 
tallized, and,  after  separation  from  the  mother  liquor,  was  recrystal- 
lized  successively  from  hot  alcohol  and  gently  boiling  glacial  acetic 
acid.  This  substance  formed  brownish-yellow,  brilliant  crystals, 
which  melted  at  1810  to  a  black  liquid. 
Calculated  for  Found. 
C17H12(C2H30)204.  I.  II. 
Carbon  68-85  6873  68.82 
Hydrogen   4-92  5-10  5-30 
Nepodin. — Nepodin  was  also  purified  with  benzene  and  petroleum 
ether,  as  described  under  nepalin.  The  hot  solution  was  allowed  to 
cool  whereupon  the  nepodin  crystallized  in  long,  greenish-yellow 
prisms,  which  were  quite  brittle.  It  melted  at  1 5 8°,  decomposed  at 
a  higher  temperature,  at  100°  showed  no  loss  and  contained  no 
vyater  of  crystallization. 
Its  composition  indicated  the  formula  C18H1604. 
Calculated.  Found. 
Carbon  72 '97  72*94 
Hydrogen   5-41  579 
Nepodin  dissolved  in  alcohol,  acetone,  ether,  chloroform  and 
glacial  acetic  acid  with  tolerable  readiness,  and  crystallized  from 
these  liquids  in  prisms.  In  benzene  it  dissolved  very  readily ;  and 
when  to  this  solution  was  added  petroleum  ether  or  ligroin  fine 
crystals  were  produced.  In  alcoholic  solution  it  did  not  give  an 
acid  reaction.  It  quickly  dissolved  in  an  aqueous  solution  of  potas- 
sium or  sodium  carbonate  with  a  yellow-brown  color,  but  which 
rapidly  became  darker.    In  potassium  hydrate  solution  it  also  dis- 
