456 
Digit onin  and  Digitogenin. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I.       Sept. ,  1891. 
of  93  per  cent,  alcohol  added,  and  the  acid  precipitated  with  50  per 
cent,  acetic  acid.  In  this  way  it  is  obtained  crystallized  in  nodular 
aggregates  of  needles,  which  begin  to  melt  at  2500  ;  it  is  very 
sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol  and  acetic  acid,  and  becomes  strongly 
electric  when  rubbed.  The  yield  amounts  to  70  per  cent,  of  the 
digitogenic  acid  employed.  The  magnesium  salt,  (CuH1904)2Mg,  is 
very  sparingly  soluble  and  crystallizes  in  aggregates  of  small 
needles. 
Digitic  acid,  C10H16O4,  is  formed,  together  with  oxydigitogenic 
acid,  by  the  oxidation  with  permanganate  of  digitogenic  acid  dis- 
solved in  3  parts  of  potash.  When  the  oxidation  is  ended,  the 
solution  is  decolorized  with  a  few  drops  of  alcohol,  filtered,  the 
weight  of  93  per  cent,  alcohol  added,  and  the  acids  precipitated 
with  hydrochloric  acid  ;  the  precipitate,  which  consists  of  oxydigi- 
togenic acid  mixed  with  some  digitic  acid,  is  filtered  off  rapidly ; 
the  filtrate  after  a  time  deposits  most  of  the  digitic  acid  in  aggre- 
gates of  beautiful  needles.  If,  however,  a  separation  of  the  two 
acids  is  not  obtained  in  this  way,  they  are  dissolved  in  potash,  the 
solution  diluted  until  it  contains  I  per  cent,  of  acid,  and  fractionally 
precipitated  with  hydrochloric  acid,  when  oxydigitogenic  acid  is 
precipitated  first.  A  separation  by  fractional  crystallization  from 
alcohol  and  acetic  acid  is  not  possible,  although  the  solubility  of  the 
two  acids  is  very  different.  Digitic  acid  melts  at  1920,  dissolves  easily 
in  alcohol,  chloroform  and  acetic  acid,  and  crystallizes  readily  from 
boiling  50  per  cent,  alcohol,  but  not  from  strong  alcohol.  The 
barium  salt,  (C10H13O4)2Ba  -f  6H20,  prepared  by  adding  barium 
chloride  to  a  solution  of  the  potassium  salt,  crystallizes  in  nodular 
aggregates,  and  is  somewhat  sparingly  soluble  in  water.  The 
potassium  salt  also  crystallizes  well  and  is  extremely  soluble  in 
water. 
If  the  acid  is  dissolved  in  decinormal  potash  in  the  proportion, 
C10H16O4:  iKOH,  and  phenolphthalein  and  a  few  drops  of  alkali  are 
added,  the  red  color  remains  both  when  the  solution  is  allowed  to 
stand  and  when  heated ;  hence  the  acid  is  not  a  lactone. 
Oil  of  Sandalwood  was  discovered,  accidentally,  by  Curtin,  to  be  a  suc- 
cessful alleviant  for  some  obstinate  coughs.  It  should  be  given  on  loaf  sugar, 
or  floated  on  hot  or  cold  water.  It  acts  both  locally  and  generally. — University 
Med.  Blag.,  August  1891,  p.  726. 
