THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
JUNE,  1893.      f  Jy  X 
A  PROXIMATE  PRINCIPLE  FROM  PHYTOLACCA 
DECANDRA. 
By  Henry  Trimble. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy;. 
No.  123. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  May  i6.> 
Some  weeks  ago  Mr.  E.  G.  Eberhardt,  chemist  for  Eli  Lilly  & 
Co.,  of  Indianapolis,  sent  for  further  investigation  a  sample  of 
material  obtained  from  poke  root.  It  was  prepared  according  to 
the  following  method :  The  concentrated  alcoholic  percolate  was 
precipitated  by  water,  and  the  separated  precipitate  purified  by  solu- 
tion in  alcohol  and  precipitation  by  chloroform  ;  this  precipitate  was 
dissolved  in  potassium  hydrate  solution  and  precipitated  by  diluted 
sulphuric  acid,  then  dissolved  in  alcohol  and  precipitated  by  ether. 
The  dried  and  finished  product  was  obtained  as  an  amorphous, 
grayish  powder,  glistening  somewhat  from  its  scaly  condition. 
When  shaken  with  water  it  frothed  considerably.  Its  taste  was 
slightly  bitter  and  acrid,  and  when  inhaled  it  acted  as  a  sternutatory, 
^t  was  slightly  soluble  in  cold  and  boiling  water,  soluble  in  alcohol ; 
insoluble  in  ether  and  chloroform.  Acetic  acid  dissolved  it  with  the 
aid  of  heat,  and  formed  a  jelly  on  cooling.  Alkalies  formed  with 
it  soluble,  amorphous  compounds  that  scaled  on  drying.  Sulphuric 
acid,  when  concentrated,  dissolved  it  with  a  cherry- red  color,  changing 
to  violet  and  purple.  On  the  application  of  heat,  the  substance  com- 
menced to  decompose  at  about  2080  without  fusing,  and  at  a  higher 
temperature  was  consumed  without  leaving  an  appreciable  residue. 
(273) 
