236  Apocynum  Cannabinum.  }  ^ii™*^ 
dissolved  in  chloroform,  filtered  and  the  filtrate  evaporated  to  dryness. 
The  residuum  was  dissolved  in  boiling  alcohol,  and  the  solution  poured 
mto  ice  cold  water  with  constant  stirring,  whereby  the  material  was 
obtained  in  the  form  of  a  light  porous  body,  which  readily  dried  when 
exposed  to  the  atmosphere. 
Thus  we  find  a  white,  tasteless  inodorous  powder,  insoluble  in  water, 
bu!  freely  soluble  in  carbon  disulphide,  benzin,  chloroform  and  sul- 
phuric ether;  soluble  in  hot  alcohol,  slightly  in  cold;  glacial  acetic  acid 
dissolves  it  to  an  extent;  hydrochloric  acid  changes  it  after  some  hours 
to  a  grey  color;  sulphuric  acid  dissolves  it  with  decomposition  and  effer- 
vescense,  the  solution  being  of  a  dark  brown  color,  with  that  peculiar 
greenish  fluorescent  hue  possessed  by  crude  petroleum,  which  to  appear- 
ances it  nearly  resembled.  When  the  foregoing  was  mixed  with  water, 
a  black  oleaginous  substance  with  the  odor  of  coal  tar  appeared  upon 
The  surface,  the  underlaying  liquid  having  a  rose  tint. 
Cold  nitric  acid  appears  not  to  affect  it,  but  in  time  the  acid  turns 
yellow,  as  does  the  material  which  liquefies.  When  boiled  in  contact 
with  nitric  acid  decomposition  ensues,  and  nitric  oxide  is  copiously  gen- 
erated. The  liquid  turns  yellow  and  dissolves  the  larger  part  of  the 
organic  matter  present.  Water  added  to  this  solution  causes  a  floccu- 
lent  precipitate,  white  when  recent,  yellow  when  washed  and  dried. 
If  anv  wish  to  investigate  the  matter,  I  will  furnish  by  mail  a  sufficient 
amount  of  the  precipitate  1  have  purified.  The  subject  may  be  of  interest 
to  such  as  are  studying  the  elementary  constituents  of  vegatable  princi- 
ples. This  article  is  interesting  to  pharmacists,  inasmuch  as  the  precipitate 
may  make  trouble  by  separating  from  tinctures.  Worthless  materials 
are  only  a  burden  to  fluid  extracts,  and  sometimes  we  wonder  if  a  pre- 
cipitate is  valuable.  In  this  instance  I  feel  that  the  material  can  be 
safely  separated,  as  both  the  white  resinous  or  waxy  substance  and  the 
sugar  are  valueless.  Tinctures  from  which  both  articles  have  been 
separated  give  with  physicians  the  best  of  satisfaction,  while  in  case  of 
the  deposition  of  peculiar  white  matter  within  a  bottle  after  its  recep- 
tion by  the  consumer  distrust  is  natural. 
It  was  mentioned  that  the  deposition  of  matter  occurred  upon  those 
portions  of  the  bottles  that  were  exposed  to  the  light,  and  upon  the 
bottom.  The  entire  front  part  of  the  bottles,  as  they  naturally  stood 
upon  the  shelves,  was  covered  with  a  considerable  layer  of  matter, 
while  the  portion  behind  was  free  from  precipitate. 
