242  Resin  of  Podophyllum  and  Podophyllum  {AmMa^i89o.arm' 
swelled  up  considerably,  and  turned  dark  and  grayish  black,  evolv- 
ing fumes  of  a  strong  smell,  which  partly  were  condensed  with  the 
water,  and  thereby  caused  the  same  to  acquire  an  acid  reaction,  a 
pungent  taste  and  a  brownish-yellow  color.  The  salt  in  question 
was  then  subjected  to  the  same  test ;  the  result  was  exactly  the 
same.  Further  experiments,  such  as  the  preparation  of  kinone, 
were  consequently  now  deemed  entirely  unnecessary  for  the  corrobo- 
ration of  the  fact,  that  the  leaves  of  Vaccinium  macrocarpon,  Aiton, 
contain  kinic  acid. 
RESIN  OF  PODOPHYLLUM  AND  PODOPHYLLIN. 
By  J.  U.  Lloyd,  Cincinnati. 
Discovery. — As  early  as  18311  Mr.  Wm.  Hodgson  made  a  partial 
analysis  of  the  rhizoma  of  podophyllum,  but  overlooked  the  resin.  In 
1 S462  Dr.  John  King  described  a  resinous  substance  then  employed  in 
his  practice,  identifying  it  as  follows :  "  I  obtain  only  the  resin,  by 
extracting  all  that  alcohol  will  take  up  (by  tincturing  the  drug), 
then  filter  the  alcoholic  tincture,  to  which  add  an  equal  quantity  of 
water,  and  separate  the  alcohol  by  distillation — the  resin  sinks  in 
the  water."3  In  1847,4  Mr.  J.  R.  Lewis  made  a  good  analysis  of 
the  drug,  describing  the  resins  and  stating  that  six  or  eight  grains 
had  been  taken  as  an  experiment,  operating  as  a  drastic  cathartic 
accompanied  by  vomiting.  Thus  it  is  evident  that  King  (1844)  and 
Lewis  (1847)  independently  wrote  upon  the  subject,  both  referred 
to  the  substance  under  consideration,  which  King  had  used  for  some 
years  preceding  his  published  paper,  and  both  of  them  called  the 
substance  a  resin.  If  Mr.  Lewis  was  acquainted  with  the  recorded 
statements  of  Prof.  King,  he  neglected  to  refer  to  them,  and  it  is 
probable  that  he  was  unaware  of  their  existence.  From  that  early 
day  Prof.  King  energetically  and  continuously  held  this  resin  before 
his  classes,  and  in  his  writings  advocated  the  use  of  resin  of  podo- 
phyllum as  the  Eclectic  substitute  for  calomel.    It  became  thereby 
1  Am.  Journ.  Pharm.,  January,  1832,  p.  273. 
2  Western  Medical  Reformer,  April,  1846,  p.  176. 
*  Preceding  this,  Prof.  King  referred  to  the  resin  in  the  Philosophical 
Medical  Journal,  of  New  York,  1844.    Vol.  1,  p.  160. 
4  Am.  Journ.  Pharm.,  August,  1847,  p.  169. 
