Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Sept.,  1879.  j 
Me  Ha  Azedarach. 
445 
After  several  preliminary  experiments  made  with  the  view  of  deter- 
mining the  best  course  to  pursue,  one  pound  of  the  powdered  bark  was 
percolated  with  diluted  alcohol  until  thoroughly  exhausted.  Upon 
distilling  off  the  alcohol  the  aqueous  residue  held  in  suspension  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  insoluble  matter.  This  residue  was  divided  into 
two  parts,  one  being  filtered  (y/),  the  other  evaporated  (B). 
The  aqueous  filtrate,  A,  was  treated  with  solution  of  acetate  of  lead 
as  long  as  a  precipitate  was  produced  ;  the  precipitate  was  brought  on  a 
filter  and  washed  well  with  water.  The  filtrate  was  treated  with  sub- 
acetate  of  lead,  and  this  precipitate  likewise  collected  and  washed. 
The  filtrate  was  freed  from  lead  by  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  separated 
from  the  sulphide  of  lead,  and  the  sulphuretted  hydrogen  expelled  by 
heating. 
The  sulphide  of  lead  yielded  nothing  to  hot  water,  but  when  treated 
with  hot  alcohol,  a  small  amount  of  resinous  or  extractive  matter  was 
obtained.  The  filtrate  from  the  sulphide  of  lead  was  concentrated  to 
a  syrupy  consistence  ;  alcohol  produced  a  slight  precipitate,  and  on  the 
addition  of  ether  a  slight  semi-fluid  mass  separated.  Both  precipitates 
occasioned  by  alcohol  and  ether,  redissolved  in  water  and  alcohol, 
respectively,  and  evaporated  spontaneously,  left  a  dark  amorphous 
residue,  which  was  also  obtained  from  the  filtrate  after  ether  and  alco- 
hol had  been  expelled  ;  the  ether  precipitate  proved  to  be  sugar. 
The  examination  of  the  lead  precipitate  did  not  lead  to  any  decided 
results. 
The  evaporated  portion,  i?,  had  a  peculiar  odor  and  bitter  taste  ;  it 
was  treated  with  hot  water,  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  and 
filtered  from  the  residue,  C.  The  filtrate  was  treated  with  magnesia 
and  tested  for  an  alkaloid,  but  none  was  found.  The  residue,  61,  was 
well  washed  with  water,  had  a  browrmh-yeilow  color  and  a  strongly 
bitter  taste,  was  not  affected  by  hot  or  cold  water,  was  slightly  soluble  in 
carbon  bisulphide,  insoluble  in  petroleum  benzin  and  oil  of  turpentine, 
and  soluble  in  alcuhol,  ether  and  chloroform,  which  solutions,  on  evapo- 
ration, refused  to  crystallize.  The  alcoholic  solution  was  acid  to  test 
paper,  but  apparently  ilid  not  combine  with  alkalies.  On  dissolivng  the 
substance  repeatedly  in  alcohol,  and  precipitating  it  by  water,  most  of  the 
color  was  removed,  the  resinous  principle  remaining  as  a  yellowish-white 
mass.  It  was  given  as  an  anthelmintic  to  a  child  aged  four  years,  in  the 
quantity  of  3  grains,  followed  by  a  mercurial  purgative,  and  proved  to 
