230  Crystalline  Principle  from  Xant/ioxyluin.{Am£lY/mo&rm' 
the  bark  in  considerable  amounts  by  any  menstruum  that  will  dis- 
solve the  xanthoxylin.  Repeated  crystallizations  from  hot  alcohol 
finally  yield  it  white  and  in  a  state  of  purity.  If  desired  it  can  then 
be  obtained  in  large  colorless  needles,  or  it  may  be  thrown  down 
amorphous  by  adding  cold  water  to  its  concentrated  hot  alcoholic 
solution. 
Owing  to  the  loss  by  the  solvent  action  of  the  fixed  oil  that 
accompanies  and  holds  much  of  it  in  solution  I  prefer  to  make  it  by 
the  following  method. 
Exhaust  the  bark  of  Xanthoxylum  fraxineum  with  alcohol.  Dis- 
til the  alcohol  from  the  percolate,  and  wash  the  greasy  residue  with 
water.  Mix  a  weak  solution  of  caustic  potash  with  the  oily  magma 
and  stir  until  the  oil  is  saponified.  Separate  the  undissolved  mate- 
rial by  means  of  a  muslin  strainer  (mostly  xanthoxylin),  wash  it 
with  water,  dissolve  it  in  boiling  alcohol  and  cool.  The  crystals  of 
xanthoxylin  can  be  purified  by  recrystallization  from  hot  alcohol. 
As  before  remarked,  however,  this  substance  dissolves  in  fat  solvents, 
such  as  ether,  benzol,  etc.,  and  any  of  these  menstruums  can  be 
employed  to  extract  it  from  the  ground  or  powdered  drug,  and  also 
to  effect  its  subsequent  purification. 
Evidence  that  I  accept  as  conclusive,  instructs  me  that  xanthoxylin 
is  therapeutically  inert.  Like  many  similar  crystalline  bodies, 
(proximate  plant  constituents)  it  is  of  interest  from  a  chemical 
rather  than  a  medical  stand,  and  the  desirable  constituents  of 
xanthoxylum  do  not,  in  my  opinion,  embrace  this  seemingly  char- 
acteristic body. 
Chemical  investigation  may  find  a  home  for  it  among  well-known 
classified  bodies,  thus  rendering  the  name  also  inappropriate  from 
structural  relationships.  That  xanthoxylum  bark  contains  sub- 
stances of  marked  peculiarities  and  decided  characteristics  is  evident, 
although  these  points  were,  of  course,  unknown  to  Mr.  Staples.  It 
is  probable,  I  think,  that  the  substance  deserving  the  name 
xanthoxylin  will  prove  to  be  amorphous,  it  may  not  be  capable  of 
isolation  intact  under  present  imperfect  methods  of  manipulation, 
and  yet  that  such  a  body  exists  those  who  have  cause  to  work  con- 
siderable amounts  of  the  drug  and  are  observing,  have,  I  think,  every 
reason  to  believe. 
