148  Msculus  Pavia,  Lin.— Bed  Buckeye.  | A VrTi,  m3RM* 
portions  of  cold  water  ;  washings  mixed  and  allowed  to  settle  ;  sedi- 
ments collected  and  dried  at  a  moderate  temperature,  yielded  12  per 
cent,  starch,  with  loss.  The  seeds  yielded  2J  per  cent,  of  ashes,  a 
qualitative  analysis  of  which  proved  its  composition  to  be  aluminium, 
magnesium,  potassium,  sodium  (iron  trace),  as  bases,  and  carbonic, 
hydrochloric  and  phosphoric  acids. 
Physiological  effects  of  the  glucoside. — A  full-grown  cat,  to  which  a 
portion  of  a  solution  containing  a  half  grain  of  the  glucoside  was  ad- 
ministered, exhibited  signs  of  great  uneasiness  within  fifteen  minutes. 
Symptoms :  first  stupor,  then  starts  and  jerking  of  the  muscles,  pro- 
truding eyes,  with  much  frothing  at  the  mouth ;  the  stupor  and  mus- 
cular spasms  continued  to  alternate  for  three  days,  the  cat  occasionally 
staggering  about  the  room  as  if  in  a  fit.  At  the  end  of  the  three  days  it 
began  to  recover,  and  would  then  take  food.  Owing  to  accident,  I  could 
not  state  exactly  the  amount  administered,  but  it  was  something  under 
a  half  grain  ;  and  having  lost  my  solution  by  the  same  accident  (prin- 
cipally the  claws  and  teeth  of  my  patient),  I  failed  in  estimating  the 
amount  necessary  to  cause  the  death  of  the  cat,  but  proved  that  in  a 
moderately  large  dose  it  would  prove  decidedly  injurious  if  taken  in- 
ternally. 
The  glucoside  differs  from  argyraescin  and  aphrodaescin,  found  by 
Rochleder  in  the  JEsculus  hypocastanum,  by  the  following  reactions  : 
Argyrcescin. — 1.  By  H2S04,  pale  yellow  solution  ;  the  heat  generated 
by  adding  a  drop  of  water  changed  the  color  to  a  deep  red,  and  upon 
the  heat  being  pushed,  deposits  grayish-green  flocks,  at  the  same  time 
evolving  the  odor  of  fatty  acids. 
2.  Its  solution  in  aqueous  alkalies,  upon  being  warmed,  changes 
into  a  viscid  mass  and  solidifies  to  a  yellow  jelly ;  by  pushing  the 
heat  it  is  liquefied. 
3.  Its  aqueous  solutions  are  precipitated  by  acetate  and  subacetate 
of  lead. 
£  4.  It  is^not  freely  soluble  in  water. 
Aphrodcescin. — 1.  Precipitated  from  aqueous  solutions  by  baryta 
water. 
2.  Its  solution  in  aqueous  alkalies  resembles  argyraescin  when 
heated. 
Glucoside. — 1.  H2S04  rich  yellow  solution,  a  drop  of  water  changes 
the  color  to  a  reddish-purple ;  by  pushing  heat,  deposits  purple  flocks, 
evolving  at  the  same  time  the  odor  of  fatty  acids  (Val.)  Upon  cool- 
ing, the  color  changes  to  a  beautiful  dark  purple. 
