Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
January,  1911.  j" 
Rhizome  of  Iris  Vei'sicolor. 
9 
a  little  alcohol.  It  separated  from  this  solvent  in  stellar  aggregates 
of  small,  colorless  needles,  which  decomposed  at  285-295°. 
0.0648  gave  0.1718  CO2  and  0.0600  HoO.  C  =  72.3  ;  H  =  10.3 
C23H40O4  requires  C  =  72.6  ;  H  =  10.5  per  cent. 
This  compound,  when  dissolved  in  chloroform  with  a  little  acetic 
anhydride,  and  a  drop  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  subsequently 
added,  gave  a  transient  pink  coloration,  rapidly  changing  to  blue 
and  green.  It  yielded  an  acetyl  derivative,  which  crystaUized  in 
colorless  leaflets  melting  at  162-163°,  and  when  this  was  mixed 
with  a  known  specimen  of  diacetylipuranol  the  melting  point  re- 
mained unaltered. 
The  above-described  compound  was  thus  definitely  identified  as 
ipuranol  (compare  this  Journal,  1908,  80,  pp.  264,  576;  Journ.  Cheni. 
Soc./ igo8,  93,  p.  907;  1909,  95»  p.  249;  1910,  97,  pp.  7,  1 102;  Pharm. 
Journ.,  1910,  84,  p.  327). 
Examination  of  the  Fatty  Acids. 
The  ethereal  solution  of  fatty  acids,  from  which  the  ipuranol 
had  been  separated,  was  washed  with  water,  dried  with  anhydrous 
sodium  sulphate,  and  the  solvent  removed.  The  residue,  amounting 
to  about  210  grammes,  was  dissolved  in  absolute  ethyl  alcohol,  and 
esterified  by  passing  a  current  of  dry  hydrochloric  acid  gas  into  the 
boiling  solution.  The  excess  of  alcohol  was  then  evaporated,  the 
residual  oil  taken  up  by  ether,  and  the  ethereal  solution  washed, 
first  with  aqueous  sodium  hydroxide,  which  extracted  a  quantity 
of  resinous  substance,  and  then  with  water  until  free  from  alkali. 
After  drying  the  solution,  and  removing  the  ether,  the  residual 
ethyl  ester  was  fractionally  distilled  under  diminished  pressure, 
when  5  fractions  were  ultimately  obtained,  possessing  the  following 
constants : 
Fraction  B.  p.  Saponification  Value  Iodine  Value 
1.  I40-i55%omn,.  249  2.5 
2.  i55-i75V2o„™  242  4.7 
3-    i75-i95%omm.  224  15.3 
4.  195-225  %Omm.  51.7 
5.  above  225%o^^ 
Fraction  i. — This  fraction,  amounting  to  12  grammes,  distilled 
under  atmospheric  pressure  at  260-270°.  It  possessed  a  fruity 
odor,  and,  from  a  consideration  of  its  boiling  point  and  saponification 
