2 
Rhizome  of  Iris  Versicolor. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t    January,  1911. 
material  was  tested  for  the  presence  of  an  alkaloid,  but  with  a  nega- 
tive result.  A  further  quantity  (25  grammes)  of  the  ground 
material  was  successively  extracted  in  a  Soxhlet  apparatus  with 
various  solvents,  when  the  following  amounts  of  extract,  dried  at 
100°,  were  obtained: 
Petroleum  (b.  p. 
35-50°)  extracted  0.30  Gm. 
=    1.2  per  cent. 
Ether 
0.80  " 
=    3-2     "  " 
Chloroform 
0.22  " 
=  0.9  "  " 
Ethyl  acetate 
"       042  " 
=  17  "  " 
Alcohol 
"       4.13  " 
=  16.5 
Total  5.87  Gm.  =  23.5  per  cent. 
For  the  purpose  of  a  complete  examination  62.82  kilogrammes 
of  the  ground  material  were  extracted  by  continuous  percolation 
with  hot  alcohol.  After  removing  the  greater  portion  of  the  alcohol, 
there  remained  a  viscid,  dark-colored  extract,  amounting  to  15.72 
kilogrammes. 
Distillation  of  the  Extract  with  Steam.    Separation  of  an 
Essential  Oil. 
Two  kilogrammes  of  the  above-mentioned  alcoholic  extract  were 
mixed  with  a  little  water,  and  subjected  to  distillation  in  a  current 
of  steam  for  several  hours.  The  distillate  contained  a  small  quantity 
of  oil  floating  on  the  surface,  which  was  extracted  with  ether.  The 
ethereal  liquid  was  dried,  and  the  solvent  removed,  when  there  re- 
mained 2  grammes  of  an  essential  oil,  this  amount  corresponding  to 
0.025  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  drug.  The  essential  oil  possessed 
a  yellow  color,  a  strong,  somewhat  unpleasant  odor,  and  contained 
traces  of  furfuraldehyde,  as  indicated  by  the  aniline  color  test.  Its 
density  was  0.9410  at  20°/20°  ;  when  examined  polarimetrically, 
no  appreciable  optical  rotation  could  be  observed. 
Non-volatile  Constituents  of  the  Extract. 
After  removal  of  the  essential  oil,  as  above  described,  there  re- 
mained in  the  distillation  flask  a  deep  brown,  aqueous  liquid  (A)  and 
a  brown  resin  (B).  These  were  separated  by  filtration,  and  the 
resin  well  washed  with  water,  the  washings  being  added  to  the  main 
portion  of  the  aqueous  liquid. 
