Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  » 
January,  1911.  j 
Rhizome  of  Iris  Versicolor. 
3 
Examination  of  the  Aqueous  Liquid  (A), 
The  aqueous  liquid  was  concentrated  to  a  convenient  volume 
under  diminished  pressure,  and  then  repeatedly  extracted  with  ether, 
the  ethereal  extracts  being  united,  washed  with  a  little  water,  and 
dried  with  anhydrous  sodium  sulphate.  On  removing  the  solvent, 
15  grammes  of  an  oily  residue  were  obtained,  which  did  not  solidify 
on  keeping.  For  the  further  examination  of  this  product  it  was 
redissolved  in  ether,  and  the  ethereal  liquid  shaken  successively  with 
solutions  of  ammonium  carbonate  (a),  sodium  carbonate  (b) ,  and 
sodium  hydroxide  (c). 
Isolation  of  isoPhthaUc  Acid,  C6H4(C02H)2. 
The  ammonium  carbonate  extract  (a)  of  the  above-mentioned, 
ethereal  liquid  was  acidified  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  when  an  oil 
was  precipitated  which  was  taken  up  by  ether.  This  ethereal  solution 
was  then  washed,  dried,  and  the  solvent  removed,  when  10.5 
grammes  of  a  brown,  viscid  oil  remained.  The  latter  was  next 
heated  with  methyl  alcohol  in  a  current  of  dry  hydrochloric  acid  gas, 
and  thus  converted  into  its  methyl  ester,  which,  by  treatment  with 
dilute,  aqueous  sodium  hydroxide  could  be  separated  into  phenolic 
and  non-phenolic  portions.  The  portion  insoluble  in  alkali,  compris- 
ing the  non-phenolic  esters,  amounted  to  7  grammes.  It  distilled  at 
1 40-260 °/20  mm.,  the  greater  portion,  however,  passing  over  at 
i50-i8o°/2O  mm.  This  ester  was  then  converted  into  the  corre- 
sponding acid  by  heating  for  a  short  time  with  alcoholic  potassium 
hydroxide.  After  hydrolysis  was  complete,  the  alcohol  was  re- 
moved, and  the  alkaline  liquid  acidified  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid, 
when  a  semi-solid,  oily  product  was  precipitated.  The  latter  was  re- 
moved by  filtration,  dried  on  a  porous  tile,  and  purified  by  crystal- 
lization from  dilute  alcohol.  It  was  thus  obtained  in  colorless,  glis- 
tening leaflets,  which  did  not  melt  below  300°. 
0.0919  required  for  neutralization  10.85  ^.c.  Ba(OH)2. 
Neutralization  value  =  66.2 
C(.H^(CO.M).^  requires  Neutralization  value  =  66.8 
The  crystalline  acid,  above  described,  was  only  sparingly  soluble 
in  hot  water,  but  readily  soluble  in  alcohol.    When  heated  strongly 
in  an  ignition  tube,  it  sublimed,  forming  colorless  prisms  on  the 
cooler  portions  of  the  tube.    Its  barium  salt  was  readily  soluble  in 
