Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1890. 
Prickly  Ash  Bark. 
235 
of  substance  yielded  -4127  gm.  of  AgCl  equivalent  to  26-59  per  cent, 
of  CI. 
NITRO-COMPOUND. 
A  portion  of  the  substance  was  dissolved  in  strong  nitric  acid, 
taking  care  to  prevent  an  undue  rise  of  temperature,  and  the  solution 
poured,  while  stirring,  into  an  excess  of  water.  The  bulky,  yellow 
precipitate  so  obtained  was  collected  and  washed  with  distilled 
water  until  but  faintly  acid,  dissolved  in  dilute  sodium  hydrate  solu- 
tion, again  liberated  by  saturation  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and 
shaken  out  with  ether.  Upon  evaporation  of  the  solvent  it  was  left 
as  an  amorphous  brown  residue  which  was  dried  over  sulphuric  acid. 
The  substance  had  no  definite  melting-point,  but  softened  at  about 
85 0  C  ,  and  began  to  decompose  above  ioo°  C.  It  was  somewhat 
hygroscopic  and  difficult  to  obtain  completely  dry.  An  estimation 
of  nitrogen  by  Varrentrapp  and  Will's  method  yielded  from  -3044 
gm.  of  substance  -01501  of  NH3,  equivalent  to  4-06  per  cent,  of 
nitrogen.  After  drying  for  several  hours  at  700  C,  -3038  gm. 
yielded  -01673  of  NH3  or  4-53  per  cent,  of  N. 
A  fresh  portion  of  the  original  substance,  heated  with  nitric  acid 
and  precipitated  as  before,  gave  a  product  of  a  brown  color.  After 
purification -25 13  gm.  of  this  yielded  -01329  of  NH3  or  435  per 
cent,  of  N. 
The  percentage  of    nitrogen  required  for  the  formula  C29H25  • 
(N02)2Og  is  4-73.    It  is,  however,  highly  probable,  more  especially 
in  the  last  instance,  that  the  substance  was  otherwise  oxidized  and 
rendered  to  some  extent  acid  in  character. 
CONCLUSION. 
It  appears  then  that  the  two  substances  obtained  respectively 
from  the  northern  and  southern  variety  of  prickly  ash  bark  are  not 
identical.  They  are  probably  allied  compounds  differing  in  con- 
stitution. By  the  use  of  Lloyd's  process  of  preparation  the  same 
substance  was  obtained  from  Xanthox.  carolinianum  that  had  pre- 
viously been  obtained  by  the  use  of  benzin.  The  northern  variety 
could  not  be  obtained  in  time  to  embody  the  results  of  its  investiga- 
tion in  this  paper,  but  further  research  upon  this  and  also  the  alka- 
loid of  prickly  ash  bark  is  in  progress. 
Note. — Since  the  above  was  written  the  bark  of  X.  fraxineum  has 
been  under  treatment  and  work  has  sufficiently  progressed  to  prove 
