370 
Bark  of  Fraxinus  Americana. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Aug.,  1886. 
To  water  the  drug  yielded  19*50  per  cent,  of  solid  matter.  This  was 
redissolved  in  water  and  then  made  alkaline  by  caustic  potash.  The 
solution  was  then  successively  treated  (agitated)  with  ether,  chloroform 
and  petroleum  spirit,  but  no  crystalline  principle  was  obtained.  The 
aqueous  extract  consists  principally  of  sugar,  gum  and  extractive  matter ► 
That  portion  of  the  drug  that  was  insoluble  in  water,  gave  to  a  2 
per  cent,  solution  of  caustic  soda,  3*50  per  cent,  of  solid  matter,  conr 
sisting  of  albuminoid?,  phlobaphene,  etc.,  and  to  a  2  per  cent,  solution 
of  hydrochloric  acid,  the  drug  gave  5* 50  per  cent,  of  salts  with  a 
small  amount  of  extractive  matter. 
Upon  bleach ing  the  final  residue,  washing  and  drying,  37  per  cent, 
of  cellulose  was  obtained. 
Another  portion  of  the  drug  yielded  20  per  cent,  of  moisture.  The 
following  shows  the  amount  of  the  most  important  constituents: 
Fixed  oil   5  25  petroleum  spirit  extract. 
Resin,  crystalline  principle  and  chlorophyll....  2*25  ether  extract. 
Eesin,  crystalline  principle  and  chlorophyll....  3.25  alcohol  extract. 
Sugar,  gum  and  extractive  19*50  water  extract. 
Albuminoids,  phlobaphene,  etc   3*50  from  alkaline  solution. 
Salts  and  extractive   5'50  from  acid  solution. 
Cellulose  37'00 
Water  20*00 
96*25 
Louisville,  July  4,  1886. 
INVESTIGATIONS  OF  THE  BARK  OF  FRAXINUS 
AMERICANA,  LIN. 
In  1882  Howard  M.  Edwards  reported  having  obtained  evidence 
of  the  presence  of  an  alkaloid  in  the  bark  of  the  American  white  ash 
(Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  1882  pp.  99  and  283).  A  further  examination  of 
this  principle  has  been  made  during  the  past  year,  and  two  theses  were 
presented  last  winter  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  from 
which  the  following  brief  abstracts  are  made : 
George  W.  J.  Hoffman,  Ph.G.,  used  for  his  experiments  the  trunk 
bark,  deprived  of  the  suberous  layer.  A  decoction  was  made  of 
24  troy  ounces  of  the  bark  with  water  acidulated  with  hydrochloric 
acid;  milk  of  lime  afforded  a  light  green  precipitate,  which  was 
washed,  dried  and  powdered;  it  yielded  nothing  to  hot  alcohol  or 
ether.  On  treating  with  diluted  alcohol,  acidulating  the  nitrate  with 
sulphuric  acid,  treating  with  animal  charcoal  and  evaporating,  a  few 
