Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1890. 
Ethereal  Oil  of  Polygala. 
483 
ON  THE  ETHEREAL  OIL  OF  POLYGALA  SPECIES. 
By  Henry  C.  C.  Maisch. 
Read  before  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  at  Old  Point  Comfort,  Va., 
Sept.  10. 
Although  the  peculiar  odor  of  senega  root  was  probably  early 
noticed,  Langbeck  [Beckurts'  JahresberichtfurPhannacie,  Phartna- 
kognosie  und  Toxicologie,  1 881-1882)  is  the  first  author  I  can  find 
whose  publication  has  direct  bearing  on  the  subject.1  He  states 
that  a  three  year  old  senega  root  possessed  a  decided  odor  of  sali- 
cylic-acid-methyl-ester or  oil  of  wintergreen.  After  distilling  the 
root  with  water  he  estimated,  by  .means  of  ferric  chloride  and  com- 
parison of  the  color  thus  obtained  with  an  aqueous  solution  of  oil 
of  gaultheria  treated  in  like  manner,  the  amount  of  oil  present  to 
be  0-225  per  cent.  A  twelve  months'  old  root  gave  a  color  reaction 
which  pointed  only  to  traces  of  the  oil. 
L.  Reuter  {Archiv  der  Pharmacie,  1887,  227,  p.  313)  estimated 
the  characteristic  constituents  of  Polygala  Senega  with  the  intention 
of  basing  thereon  an  assay  of  the  root.  He  found  southern  senega 
to  contain  0  28  per  cent.,  and  northern  0-25 — 0-33  per  cent,  of  the 
ethereal  oil. 
The  same  author  (/.  c,  p.  459  and  549)  gives  two  methods  for 
determining  the  presence  of  oil  of  wintergreen  in  the  root. 
"  Five  gm.  of  the  air-dried  root  treated  with  50  cc.  water  of 
about  6o°  C,  should  after  1 5  minutes  give  a  filtrate  which,  on  acidi- 
fying with  3  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid  and  extracting  with  50  cc. 
ether,  yields  to  this  sufficient  salicylic  acid,  so  that  on  taking  up  the 
residue,  remaining  after  the  spontaneous  evaporation  of  the  ether, 
with  20  cc.  water  of  6o°  C,  and  adding  one  drop  of  solution  of 
ferric  chloride,  a  distinct  violet  color  should  appear." 
The  second  method,  to  which  Reuter  gives  the  preference  as  the 
sharpest  is  as  follows :  • 
"Five  gm.  of  the  air-dried  and  cut  root  are  macerated  with 
about  30  gm.  ether  for  ^ — 1  hour,  when  the  ethereal  extract  is 
filtered  into  a  beaker  containing  20  cc.  water  of  about  40 — 5o°  C, 
and  a  dilute  solution  of  ferric  chloride  added ;  the  aqueous  solu- 
tion assumes  a  violet  color,  the  supernatant  layer  of  fatty  oil 
and  resin  having  no  effect  on  the  reaction." 
1  The  presence  of  a  volatile  principle  in  senega  root  was  recognized  by 
Pesthier  (1821),  FeneuPte  (1826),  Dulong  (1827),  Folchi  (1830)  and  others. 
