Am.  Joor.  Fharm. ) 
February,  1911.  J 
Lasiosiphon  Meissnerianus. 
53 
tained.  On  subsequently  shaking  the  Hquid  with  amyl  alcohol  a 
quantity  of  amorphous  material  was  removed.  •  This  was  heated 
with  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  hydroxide,  the  alkaline  liquid 
being  then  acidified  and  extracted  with  ether,  but  it  yielded  nothing 
definite. 
The  aqueous  liquid  was  then  treated  with  a  slight  excess  of  a 
solution  of  basic  lead  acetate,  when  an  abundant  brown  precipitate 
was  produced.  This  was  collected,  well  washed  with  water,  then 
suspended  in  water,  and  decomposed  with  hydrogen  sulphide.  On 
filtering  the  mixture,  and  concentrating  the  filtrate,  a  resinous  prod- 
uct was  obtained  which  responded  to  the  usual  tests  for  tannic 
matter. 
The  filtrate  from  the  basic  lead  acetate  precipitate  was  treated 
with  hydrogen  sulphide  for  the  removal  of  the  lead,  and  the  clear, 
filtered  liquid  evaporated  to  a  small  volume.  It  was  found  to  contain 
a  quantity  of  sugar,  since  it  readily  reduced  Fehling's  solution,  and 
yielded  J-phenylglucosazone,  melting  at  204-205°. 
Examination  of  the  Resin. 
The  resin  which  had  been  separated  from  the  aqueous  liquid,  and 
thoroughly  washed  with  hot  water,  as  above  described,  amounted  to 
3685  grammes,  thus  corresponding  to  12.3  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of 
the  drug.  It  was  a  brown,  powdery  substance,  which,  when  inhaled, 
had  an  irritating  efifect  on  the  nostrils,  and  when  brought  on  the 
tongue,  especially  in  alcoholic  solution,  a  burning  sensation  was  soon 
developed,  similar  to  that  produced  on  chewing  the  bark  of  the  root. 
For  the  examination  of  this  resin  a  quantity  (300  grammes)  of 
it  was  dissolved  in  alcohol,  mixed  with  purified  sawdust,  and  the 
thoroughly  dried  mixture  then  successively  extracted  in  a  Soxhlet 
apparatus  with  light  petroleum  (b.  p.  35-50°),  ether,  chloroform, 
ethyl  acetate,  and  alcohol. 
Petroleum  Extract  of  the  Resin. 
This  was  a  dark  green,  amorphous  mass,  amounting  to  26 
grammes.  It  was  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  heated  for  about  four 
hours  in  a  reflux  apparatus  with  an  alcoholic  solution  of  potassium 
hydroxide.  The  alcohol  was  then  removed,  water  added,  and  the 
alkaline  mixture  extracted  with  ether.  The  ethereal  liquid  was 
washed,  dried,  and  evaporated,  when  a  small  amount  of  a  crystalline 
