Am.  Jodr.  Pharm.  ) 
.  July  1,  187rs.  / 
Com  pton  ia  Asplen  if  (A  la . 
305 
The  infusion,  when  treated  with  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper 
and  an  excess  of  solution  of  potassa,  gave,  on  being  boiled  for  a  short 
time,  a  reddish  precipitate  of  suboxide  of  copper.  This  test  indi- 
cates the  presence  of  sugar. 
Another  portion  of  the  infusion  gave  a  greenish-black  color  with  a 
solution  of  sesquichloride  of  iron,  a  white  curdy  precipitate  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  and  a  slight  precipitate  with  gelatin.  After  digesting 
the  infusion  with  an  excess  of  gelatin  for  twenty-four  hours  and  fil- 
tering, the  infusion  gave  no  precipitate  with  sulphuric  acid,  and  on 
the  addition  of  solution  of  sesquichloride  of  iron  gave  a  greenish- 
black  color,  which  was  entirely  dissipated  on  the  application  of  heat. 
Four  troy-ounces  of  the  leaves,  when  exhausted  with  cold  water 
and  the  resulting  infusion  being  evaporated,  yielded  about  thirty  per 
cent,  of  a  dark  brown  extract.  Two  hundred  and  forty  grains  of  this 
extract,  after  having  been  submitted  to  the  action  of  alcohol  and 
ether  successively,  left  about  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  dark  brown  ex- 
tractive matter.  The  alcohol,  with  which  the  extract  had  been  ex- 
hausted, on  being  evaporated  yielded  a  substance  of  a  pale  brown 
color  somewhat  translucent,  hard  and  brittle.  It  is  soluble  in  water 
and  officinal  alcohol,  but  is  insoluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  ether  and 
oil  of  turpentine.  Its  aqueous  solution,  on  being  agitated,  forms  a 
lather  like  a  solution  of  soap,  and  in  many  of  its  properties  it  resem- 
bles saponin  obtained  by  a  similar  process  from  Saponaria  officinalis. 
Four  troy-ounces  of  the  leaves  were  exhausted  with  alcohol,  and 
the  alcohol  distilled  oft'  from  the  tincture  until  it  was  reduced  to  a 
syrupy  liquid.  This  was  thrown  into  a  large  bulk  of  water,  and  the 
precipitated  resin  collected  on  a  filter.  The  resin,  after  having  been 
well  washed  with  cold  water,  was  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  the  solu- 
tion evaporated  spontaneously.  The  resin,  as  thus  obtained,  is  of  a 
dark  green  color,  very  friable,  and  has  the  peculiar  odor  of  the  leaves 
highly  developed.  Its  taste  is  bitter  and  camphorous.  It  is  soluble 
in  alcohol,  ether  and  alkaline  solutions.  On  the  addition  of  an  acid 
to  the  latter  solution  it  is  precipitated  unchanged. 
The  distillate  obtained  by  distilling  water  twice  from  fresh  por- 
tions (  f  the  leaves  was  agitated  with  ether,  the  ethereal  solution 
drawn  off  and  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously.  A  small  quan- 
tity of  an  oily  liquid  was  obtained,  which  communicated  a  greasy 
stain  to  bibulous  paper,  disappearing  entirely  on  the  application  of 
heat. 
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