THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
SEPTEMBER,    1  8  62. 
CHEMICAL  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  BARK  OF  THE  ROOT  OF 
EUONYMUS  ATROPURPUREUS. 
By  Wm.  T.  Wenzbll. 
Physical  Characters. — The  bark  is  of  a  whitish  color,  ex- 
cepting the  epidermis,  which  is  streaked  with  black,  is  easily 
pulverized,  giving  a  mealy  powder.  The  parenchymatous  tissue 
cut  into  thin  sections  was  found  to  be  composed  of  pentagonal 
cells  running  longitudinally  with  the  root,  and  filled  with  nu- 
merous starch  granules.  These  granules  were  found  on  com. 
paring  with  measured  starches  to  vary  from  j-Lq  to  J_  of  an  inch 
in  diameter.  Their  form  was  spherical,  apparently  somewhat 
flattened,  thehilum  occupying  the  centre,  with  its  concentric  rings 
just  visible,  with  a  magnifying  power  of  400  diameters. 
Preliminary  Examination. — A  cold  infusion  of  the  bark  is 
not  changed  by  perchloride  of  iron,  it  is  rendered  turbid  by 
heat,  is  precipitated  by  bichloride  of  mercury  and  infusion  of 
galls.  Acetate  and  subacetate  of  lead  give  copious  precipitates, 
phospho-molybdic  acid  gives  a  precipitate.  Trommer's  test  in- 
dicates Glucose. 
An  alcoholic  tincture  deposits  on  spontaneous  evaporation  a 
substance  like  wax,  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  but  insoluble 
in  alcohol.    The  tincture  is  precipitated  by  salts  of  lead. 
A  decoction  is  colored  blue  by  iodine,  and  if  concentrated  de- 
posits crystals. 
Course  of  Analysis. — A  quantity  of  the  bark  was  percolated 
with  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  the  resulting  tincture  set  aside  for 
future  examination.  The  bark  exhausted  with  alcohol,  after 
being  dried,  was  subjected  to  the  action  of  cold  water  by  per- 
25 
