464 
Antipyrine. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
{      Sept.,  1884. 
acrid,  and  pungent,  and  quite  aromatic,  but  leaves  a  very  unpleasant 
sickening  sensation  on  the  tongue  and  pauces,  remaining  for  a  long 
time.  It  is  an  expectorant,  diaphoretic ;  sometimes  used  in  inter- 
mittent fever,  also  in  chorea.  In  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania,  it  is 
extensively  used  in  domestic  practice  for  pulmonary  affections,  with 
satisfactory  results. 
Owing  to  the  oily  nature  of  the  root,  an  etherial  extract  was  first 
prepared  from  four  ounces  of  the  root  in  fine  powder  by  exhausting  it 
with  ether;  the  extract  was  oily,  resinous,  very  aromatic,  dark  in 
color,  with  a  burning  acrid,  and  nauseous  taste,  insoluble  in  water, 
partly  soluble  in  alcohol  and  chloroform.  A  portion  of  this  extract 
dissolved  in  an  alkaline  solution,  was  precipitated  by  the  addition  of  a 
small  quantity  of  acid  ;  upon  drying  this  precipitate  and  subjecting  it 
to  a  flame  it  burns  emitting  dense  smoke. 
Four  ounces  of  the  root  in  No.  40  powder,  exhausted  with  dilute 
alcohol,  yielded  a  soft  extract  weighing  2J.  drachms ;  only  slightly 
pungent,  not  very  aromatic,  but  dark  in  color,  containing  only  a  slight 
trace  of  oil  and  no  resin,  but  considerable  coloring  matter. 
Eight  ounces  of  the  powdered  root  in  (No.  50  powder)  were  ex- 
hausted, first  with  ether,  then  with  alcohol,  and  lastly  with  dilute 
alcohol.  The  etherial  tincture  had  scarcely  any  color,  but  contained 
considerable  oil  and  resin.  The  alcoholic  tincture  was  of  a  pale  straw 
color,  and  contained  resin  and  extractive.  The  dilute  alcoholic  tinc- 
ture was  dark  brown  in  color  and  contained  tannin,  extractive  and 
coloring  matters.  These  tinctures  being  evaporated  to  extracts  and 
testing  as  before,  gave  results  similar  to  those  mentioned  before. 
The  four  ounces  of  root  which  had  been  exhausted  by  dilute  alcohol 
alone,  were  boiled  with  water,  giving  a  decoction  which  was  dark 
brown  in  color,  with  but  slight  odor.  By  testing  it  was  found  to  con- 
tain gum,  starch,  coloring  matter  and  extractive. 
One  ounce  of  the  root  was  carefully  reduced  to  ashes,  weighing  43 
grains,  and  containing  phosphate  and  carbonate  of  potassium,  calcium, 
magnesium  and  iron. 
The  virtues  of  the  root  probably  depend  mainly  on  the  volatile  oil 
and  resin;  the  alcoholic  tincture  seems  to  contain  all  the  desirable 
constituents  in  solution. 
