Am.  Jour.  Pharm.\ 
August,  1899.  j 
Aralia  Nil  die  a  u  I is . 
371 
treated  with  sulphuric  acid,  and  was  distilled  at  a  temperature  below 
75°.  After  maceration,  percolation  with  the  same  solvent  was  con- 
tinued, until  the  percolate  failed  to  show  any  reaction  with  the  com- 
monly employed  reagents  for  oils,  resins,  alkaloids,  etc.  The  perco- 
late was  then  evaporated  at  a  temperature  below  750,  leaving  a 
dark-red,  thick  liquid.  The  remaining  drug,  after  the  extraction 
with  petroleum-benzin,  was  thoroughly  dried  and  macerated  with 
anhydrous  ether,  that  had  previously  been  distilled  over  sodium. 
After  eight  days  the  ether  was  drawn  ofT  and  the  drug  washed 
three  times  with  the  same  solvent.  After  distilling  off  the  larger 
part  of  the  ether,  the  remainder  was  allowed  to  evaporate  sponta- 
neously, leaving  behind  a  resinous  mass  weighing  2-253  grammes. 
This  mass  was  treated  with  petroleum-benzin  in  order  to  extract 
whatever  might  have  escaped  the  first  solvent,  and  a  loss  of  -275 
gramme  was  noted.  This  value  was  added  to  the  benzin  extract  pre- 
viously determined,  leaving  1-978  grammes  of  ethereal  extract;  to 
this  must  be  added  that  part  which  was  afterwards  gained  from  the 
alcoholic  extract,  namely,  1-223  grammes,  making  a  total  of  3-201 
grammes,  or  1-280  per  cent.  This  ethereal  extract,  which  before 
treatment  with  petroleum-benzin  was  rather  soft,  was  now  hard  and 
brittle  and  could  easily  be  pulverized.  It  was  treated  at  ordinary 
temperature  with  cold  water,  which  failed  to  dissolve  any  of  it.  The 
ethereal  extract,  after  drying  again,  showed  no  loss  of  weight.  It 
was  then  treated  with  absolute  alcohol,  which  dissolved  the  larger 
part  of  it,  leaving  a  residue  of  -107  gramme,  or  '043  per  cent,  of  the 
original  drug.  This  residue,  soluble  in  ether,  insoluble  in  petroleum- 
benzin,  absolute  alcohol  and  water,  consists  of  a  fine  dark  powder, 
of  neutral  reaction,  indifferent  to  the  common  reagents,  forming  no 
combination  with  metal-salts,  and  may  be  called  an  indifferent  resin 
or  resin-anhydride  (Dragendorff,  "  Plant  Analysis ").  The  part  of 
the  ethereal  extract,  3*094  grammes,  or  1-237  Per  cent.»  °f  the  drug, 
soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  is  hard  and  brittle,  of  a  light-brown 
shining  color,  has  an  acid  reaction,  and  forms  compounds  with  most 
metals.  With  ferric  salt  a  dark-green  color  is  produced,  turning 
red  on  addition  of  potash  solution  and  then  yellow  on  addition  of 
hydrochloric  acid.  Ferrous  salts  give  no  color  reaction.  Lead  ace- 
tate, cupric  acetate,  silver  nitrate  and  other  salts  are  decomposed 
by  it.  A  slight  precipitate  is  also  formed  by  a  solution  of  gelatine. 
It  is,  therefore,  an  acid  resin,  with  the  admixture,  probably,  of  a 
small  amount  of  tannic  acid. 
