Am'Fe°bU!'i8P86arm'}         Fabiana  Imbricata;  or  Pichi.  71 
By  treiting  the  drug  with  Prolliiis'  solution,  I  obtained  an  ethereal 
fluid  from  which  acidulated  water  removed  a  not  inconsiderable  quan- 
tity of  alkaloid.  The  concentrated  solution  gave  with  Mayer's  re- 
agent a  heavy  white  precipitate;  with  picric  acid  a  yellow;  with 
phosphomolybdic  acid  a  yellowish  white;  with  tannin  a  tawny;  with 
iodine  solutions  a  brown  precipitate.  The  solution  had  a  bitter  taste,  and 
when  evaporated  yielded  minute,  well-defined  crystals.  The  quantity 
of  alkaloid  is  small,  certainly  less  than  OT  per  cent.,  but  this  quantity 
is  not  so  minute  that  we  are  warranted  in  concluding  of  necessity  that 
the  drug  owes  its  efficacy  to  other  constituents.  Whether  it  is  a  new 
alkaloid,  however,  remains  to  be  determined ;  also,  what  physiological, 
toxic  or  therapeutic  properties  it  may  have,  and  these  questions  can  be 
solved  only  when  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  alkaloid  lias  been  pre- 
pared to  render  its  study  possible. 
Should  the  alkaloid  prove  to  be  a  new  one,  it  will  naturally  take 
the  name  fabianine. 
To  sum  up  the  results  justified  by  the  preceding  examination, 
Pichi  c  >n tains — 
1st.  A  minute  quantity  of  some  alkaloid,  probably  peculiar  to  the 
drug,  and  capable  of  forming  crystal! izable,  bitter  salts. 
2d.  A  neutral,  crystallizable  priuciple,  rich  in  carbon,  insoluble  in 
water,  tasteless,  and  probably  inert. 
3d.  A  fluorescent  body  (perhaps  more  than  one)  closely  resembling 
sesculin. 
4th.  Volatile  oil. 
5th.  A  bitter  resin,  probably  complex  in  composition,  present  in 
great  abuadance,  soluble  in  alkalies,  reprecipitated  by  acids,  not 
fluorescent,  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  very  sparingly  in  water 
and  in  petroleum  ether. 
It  seems  probable  that  the  three  last  named  constituents  are  the 
important  ones,  unless,  indeed,  there  be  a  bitter  in  addition  to  the 
fluorescent,  principle,  which  dissolves  somewhat  freely  in  water.  The 
tincture  of  the  drug  has  a  very  clinging,  disagreeable  bitter  taste,  and 
unless  an  alkali  is  added,  it  precipitates  much  resin  when  mixed  with 
water. 
We  may  hope  that  before  long  clinical  experiment  will  determine 
positively  what  therapeutic  value  the  drug  possesses,  and  which  of  its 
constituents  may  be  regarded  as  its  active  principle. 
January  8,  1886. 
