436 
Fabian  a  Imbricata. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
Sept.,  1891. 
Per  Cent.         Per  Cent. 
Ethereal  Solution, 
(a)  Fluorescent  Principle  (impure),   *6 
(b)  Light  Colored  Resin   2*5 
(c)  Neutral  Principle  and  Chlorophyll,   -.14 
(d)  Undetermined  Substances,   7  3-94 
Alcoholic  Solution, 
(a)  Organic  Acids  (tannin),   78 
{b)  Phlobaphene,   3*12 
(c)  Undetermined    Substances    (resin,  fluorescent 
principle),   7-22  iri2 
Aqueous  Solution, 
(a)  Dextrin,   i-8 
(b)  Organic  Acids  and  Allied  Substances,   7  8*8 
Dilute  Potash  Solution, 
(a)  Mucilage,   1-55 
(b)  Albumen,   3*88 
(c)  Undetermined  Substances,   5-07  10*50 
Intercellular  Tissue,  as  Cellulose  and  Lignin,  ....  45  "04 
Loss,   3*96 
Total,   ioo-oo 
Methods  for  extracting  fluorescent  principle. — Several  methods  were 
used  for  extracting  the  glucoside  from  the  plant.  A  strong  decoc- 
tion was  made,  and  to  the  wine  colored  liquid  was  added  acetate  of 
lead  ;  this  threw  down  a  heavy  precipitate  of  coloring  matter  and 
organic  acids,  which  was  filtered  off  and  the  clear  filtrate  treated 
with  hydrogen  sulphide  which  precipitated  the  excess  of  lead.  The 
precipitate  was  filtered  off  and  the  filtrate  concentrated,  which 
caused  the  fluorescent  principle  to  crystallize  out ;  it  was  purified 
by  dissolving  in  hot  water  and  re-crystallizing.  If  charcoal  is  used 
in  purifying,  it  seems  to  absorb  the  glucoside  and  prevent  it  from 
crystallizing. 
Another  method  was  to  extract  the  drug  with  dilute  alcohol, 
recovering  the  alcohol  by  distillation,  drying  the  residue  and  powder- 
ing with  sand ;  treat  this  with  successive  portions  of  hot  water  and 
filter,  shake  the  filtrate  with  chloroform  which  dissolves  the  glucoside 
remove  the  chloroform  layer,  evaporate  off  the  chloroform,  which 
may  be  recovered  by  distillation,  and  a  white  mass  is  left,  consisting 
chiefly  of  the  fluorescent  principle  which  may  be  purified  by  dissolv- 
ing in  hot  water  and  crystallizing.  The  fluorescent  glucoside 
seems  to  be  the  bitter  principle  of  the  drug  and  deserves  further 
study. 
