Am.  Jour  Pharm.) 
April,  1885.  J 
Plnchieya  Pubens, 
163 
tate  by  the  triplambic  acetate  was  suspended  in  water  and  freed  from 
lead  ;  on  evaporating,  a  brownish,  somewhat  bitter  extractive  was 
obtained. 
The  plumbic  acetate  precipitate  was  suspended  in'  eighty  per  cent, 
alcohol,  freed  from  lead  by  hydrogen  sulphide,  concentrated,  treated 
with  water,  allowed  to  stand  some  time,  and  the  resulting  precipitate 
collected,  well  washed  and  dissolved  in  ether,  which  left  on  evapo- 
ration a  light  yellow  mass,  capable  of  being  powdered ;  its  alcoholic 
solution  Avas  very  astringent,  and  was  precipitated,  giving  a  bluish 
green  by  ferric  chloride.  The  aqueous  solution  gave,  with  ferric 
chloride,  a  beautiful  emerald  green  color,  changed  to  a  wine  red  by 
sodium  carbonate,  was  not  precipitated  by  tartar  emetic,  not  precipi- 
tated or  colored  by  ferrous  sulphate,  reduced  solution  of  argentic  nitrate, 
was  precipitated  by  gelatin,  and  crystallized  ftom  dilute  alcohol,  resem- 
bling cafFeotannic  acid. 
Aqueous  Extract. — The  bark  from  the  alcohol  operation  was  mace- 
rated with  water  and  expressed,  the  liquid  gave  a  copious  precipitate 
with  alcohol,  which  consisted  of  guui  combined  with  brown  coloring 
matter.  On  boiling  a  portion  of  the  exhausted  bark  with  water,  the 
solution  gave  a  blue  coloration  after  cooling  with  a  solution  of  iodine. 
One  grm.  of  the  bark  (air-dry?)  on  incineration  yielded  '09  grm.  =  9 
per  cent,  of  ash,  consisting  of  potassium,  sodium,  calcium  and  mag- 
nesium combined  as  chlorides,  carbonates  and  phosi)hates. 
In  the  ^'American  Journal  Pharmacy,"  February  1881,  p.  981,  it 
is  stated  that  Dr.  Farr  claimed  to  have  detected  cinchonine  in  pinck- 
neya,  but  from  my  analysis  I  am  led  to  think  this  incorrect,  as  I 
failed  to  discover  the  slightest  trace  of  alkaloid.  Owing  to  the  limited 
supply  of  bark  at  my  disposal  I  was  unable  to  make  as  complete  an 
analysis  as  the  subject  deserves. 
Oil  of  Gaultheria  in  Rheumatism. — Dr.  H.  H.  Seelye  reports  the 
results  obtained  from  oil  of  gaultheria  given  in  118  cases  of  acute  articular 
rheumatism.  It  can  be  administered  in  capsules,  alone  or  with  salicylate 
of  sodium,  or  in  soda-water,  but  the  preferred  method  was  in  an  emulsion 
in  glycerin  and  water.  From  10  to  20  minims  were  given  every  two  hours 
during  the  day,  and  at  intervals  of  three  hours  during  the  night.  All 
forms  of  rheumatic  pain  seemed  remarkably  intluenced,  but  its  effect  was 
most  marked  in  acute  inflammatory  cases.  The  tendency  to  cardiac  com- 
plications seemed  not  to  be  increased.  The  success  was  so  gratifying  that 
further  trial  of  the  remedy  was  strongly  urged. —  ZV.  Y.  Med.  Jour.^  Nov.  8 
1884  ;  Med.  Times. 
