346  The  Products  of  Ricinus  Communis.  {Amj^l8p^nnt 
bitter  principles  with  decided  physiological  action.  It  is  very  likely 
that  he  collected  the  juice  before  the  plants  were  sufficiently  matured 
and  the  bitter  principles  developed. 
THE  PRODUCTS  OF  RICINUS  COMMUNIS,  Lin. 
By  Ernest  P.  Raab,  Ph.G. 
[From  an  Inaugural  Essay.) 
After  describing  the  plant,  its  culture  in  the  United  States  and  the 
processes  adopted  in  different  countries  for  obtaining  the  fixed  oil,  the 
author  followed  Boerner's  experiments  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1876,  p. 
481),  with  a  few  modifications,  using  the  residuary  oil-cake  after  the 
second  expression. 
Having  reduced  the  bean  to  the  proper  degree  of  fineness  for  perco- 
lation, I  percolated  four  ounces  each  respectively  with  the  following 
menstrua  :  benzin,  ether,  alcohol  and  bisulphide  of  carbon.  The  ben- 
zin  percolate  divided  into  two  strata,  the  upper  being  clear  benzin,  the 
lower  a  light-brown  oil  of  spec.  grav.  '95.  Having  dissolved  a  part  of 
the  benzin,  11*4  per  cent,  oil  was  obtained.  The  oil  was  saponified 
with  pure  caustic  potassa,  giving  a  soft  brown  soap,  and,  upon  filtra- 
tion, nothing  but  brown  extractive  was  left  behind.  The  portion 
percolated  with  benzin  was  again  percolated  with  bisulphide  of  carbon, 
furnishing  a  light-brown  oil,  but  no  crystals  were  perceptible  on  evapo- 
ration, and  also,  when  the  bisulphide  of  carbon  residue  was  treated 
with  benzin,  the  product  was  only  a  light-brown  oil. 
The  three  other  percolates,  varying  in  color — that  of  alcohol  dark- 
brown,  that  of  ether  somewhat  lighter  and  that  of  bisulphide  of  carbon 
still  lighter — were  put  into  a  Florence  flask  connected  with  a  Liebig's 
condenser.  The  three  solvents  came  over  clear,  and,  on  spontaneous 
evaporation,  left  a  slight  greasy  spot  in  the  evaporating  dish.  The 
residuary  portion  was  shaken  up  with  ether,  which  dissolved  the  oil  -9 
the  remainder  was  shaken  up  with  alcohol,  filtered  and  concentrated. 
The  bisulphide  of  carbon  and  ether  residue  left  a  brown  extract,  but 
the  alcohol  extract  was  soon  studded  with  prismatic,  needle-shaped 
light-brown  crystals.  Upon  dissolving  these  in  boiling  alcohol,  filter- 
ing, concentrating  and  evaporating,  white  prismatic  crystals  were  left 
having  a  burning  taste,  insoluble  in  cold  water  and  alcohol,  soluble  in 
