THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MARCH,  1886. 
ANALYSIS  OF  ARISTOLOCHIA  FCETIDA. 
( Yerba  del  Indio.) 
By  Henry  Trdible  and  Samuel  S.  Jones. 
(Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  February  16th.) 
The  root  of  the  above  plant,  from  H.  J.  Schuchard,  Ph.  G.,  of  San 
Antonia,  Texas,  consists  of  globular  pieces  much  resembling  jalap  in  • 
size  and  appearance;  externally  almost  black,  and  internally,  when  dry, 
reddish  brown.  It  possesses  a  slightly  astringent  taste  and  a  strong 
narcotic  odor.  The  loss  on  drying  amounted  to  14*10  per  cent.,  and 
the  ash  4*88  per  cent.;  the  latter  was  found  to  be  composed  of  the 
usual  constituents. 
I.  Twenty  grams  in  fine  powder  yielded  to  petroleum  spirit  1*95 
per  cent,  of  a  fixed  oil,  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol  and  stronger  ether, 
less  so  in  ordinary  alcohol.  It  saponified  with  aqueous  solution  of 
potassium  hydrate,  yielding  a  soap  on  the  addition  of  sodium  chloride, 
which  possessed  a  purplish-red  color,  due  to  the  presence  of  a  small 
quantity  of  the  coloring  matter. 
II.  The  stronger  ether  extraction  gave  but  *5  per  cent,  of  residue, 
consisting  of  a  resin,  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  chloroform  and  benzol, 
and  traces  of  tannin. 
III.  Absolute  alcohol  extracted  7*64  per  cent,  of  organic  matter, 
which  was  partly  soluble  in  water,  composed  of  tannin  and  its  decom- 
position products  5*3  per  cent.,  and  coloring  matter  1*3  per  cent. 
There  was  an  absence  of  reactions  indicating:  srlucosides  or  alkaloids. 
IV.  Water  extracted  from  the  remainder,  after  subtracting  the  in- 
organic portion,  10*24  per  cent.,  made  up  of  mucilage,  2*5  per  cent., 
tannin,  2*6  per  cent.,  coloring  matter,  5*14  per  cent.  A  separate  de- 
termination of  the  tannin  with  10  grams  of  the  original  drug,  showed 
the  presence  of  about  11*66  per  cent. 
V.  A  0*2  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  hydrate  extracted  1*9  per  cent, 
of  albuminoids  and  coloring  matter. 
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