544 
Podophyllum. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1879. 
K-1 
Color  of  wash- 
ings of  resin. 
Washings 
react  with 
rield  of  resin,  in 
grs.,  from  1000 
grains  of  dried 
rhizome. 
'er  cent  soluble  1 
in  ether.  1 
Mayer's  test. 
Phosphomo- 
lybdic  acid. 
Ferric  chloride. 
Ferrous 
sulphate. 
Chlorine  water. 
Argentic  nitrate. 
> 
£L 
re 
Lead  acetate. 
March 
49  "3o 
Reddish 
brown 
89 
Precip. 
Precip. 
Dark 
Green 
No 
Change 
Slight 
color- 
ation. 
Heavy 
white 
precip. 
Dark 
brown 
Yellow 
precip. 
April 
52  '4° 
84 
« 
M  ay- 
37 '9° 
Light 
straw 
color 
87 
Very 
slight 
precip 
No 
precip. 
Scarcely 
per- 
ceptible. 
tt 
Scarcely 
any 
precip. 
July 
28  -30 
90 
(C 
Octob'r 
32-40 
78 
<( 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  washings  for  March  and  April  showed 
different  and  more  marked  results  with  reagents  than  those  of  the  three 
months  that  follow.  All  were  treated  in  the  same  manner  and  sub- 
jected to  the  same  influences.  I  was  unable  to  get  a  precipitate  with 
Mayer's  test  with  the  mixed  washings  when  they  were  dilute,  so  each 
washing  was  concentrated  to  about  six  fluidounces,  when  a  slight  pre- 
cipitate would  show  in  the  liquid  near  the  top  ;  in  that  of  the  three 
later  months  it  could  scarcely  be  seen. 
The  resins  obtained  show  scarcely  any  difference  in  color,  all  being 
light  colored  with  the  exception  of  that  from  the  April  root,  which  is 
a  little  darker  than  the  others,  probably  due  to  the  chlorophyl  of  the 
young  buds. 
In  evaporating  the  alcoholic  tincture  of  the  rhizome,  when  it  had 
been  reduced  sufficient  to  pour  in  the  acidulated  water,  every  lot  had 
small  globules  of  oil  floating  on  the  surface. 
The  washings  of  March  and  April  were  dark  colored,  and  on  evap- 
orating deposited  a  precipitate  ;  those  of  May,  July  and  October  were 
very  light  straw  colored,  and  also  deposited  a  precipitate.  This  pre- 
cipitate is  probably  a  portion  of  the  resin  dissolved  when  it  is  washed,, 
as  I  believe,  with  Prof.  Maisch,  that  a  portion  of  the  resin  is  soluble 
in  water,  and  that  which  is  dissolved  is  purgative. 
I  know  of  a  case  where  a  lady  purchased  five  cents'  worth  of  the 
rhizome,  made  a  tea  of  it,  and  drank  a  portion  (the  exact  amount  is. 
not  known),  and  it  had  a  decided  cathartic  effect,  so  much  so  that  she 
