5  80  Supposed  Alkaloid  of  Podophyllum,     { ^b^'J^™' 
1878,  p.  8).  A  small  quantity  of  the  pure  acid  was  added  to  the  mass 
contained  in  a  capsule,  the  contents  heated  over  a  water-bath,  the  oleic 
acid,  containing  the  alkaloid  in  the  form  of  an  oleate,  poured  off,  and 
benzin,  which  dissolves  both  the  acid  and  the  oleate,  added  to  it.  The 
benzin  solution  was  then  agitated  with  distilled  water  slightly  acidulated 
with  hydrochloric  acid,  and,  after  the  complete  separation  of  the  two 
liquids,  the  aqueous  solution  was  drawn  off.  After  concentrating  this 
solution  it  was  placed  aside  to  crystallize,  and  in  a  few  days  acicular 
crystals  were  formed.  The  amount  of  the  chloride  obtained  in  this 
manner  proved  merely  sufficient  to  establish  that  this  alkaloid  is  soluble 
in  ammonia,  and  to  determine  its  character  by  the  precipitates  afforded 
by  it  with  the  usual  reagents  for  this  class  of  substances. 
Lastly,  about  2  troyounces  of  the  finely  powdered  root  were 
thoroughly  moistened  with  a  solution  of  bicarbonate  of  soda,  the  mass- 
placed  in  a  porcelain  capsule,  heated  to  dryness  on  a  water-bath,  then 
powdered,  transferred  to  a  small  percolator  and  extracted  with  ether. 
After  evaporating  the  ether  from  the  percolate,  which  was  of  a  light 
yellow  color,  distilled  water  was  added  to  the  residue  and  the  liquid 
filtered  to  separate  a  yellowish-white  resin  that  had  subsided.  This 
aqueous  solution  of  the  alkaloid,  which  was  still  of  a  pale  yellow  color,, 
was  then  concentrated,  carefully  neutralized  with  very  dilute  hydro- 
chloric acid,  repeatedly  agitated  with  successive  portions  of  ether  as 
long  as  this  menstruum  removed  any  coloring  matter,  and  then  placed 
aside,  when,  after  a  few  days,  it  yielded  crystals,  some  of  which  presented 
the  form  of  perfect  octahedra. 
THE  SUPPOSED  ALKALOID  OF  PODOPHYLLUM. 
By  John  M,  Maisch. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  November  18. 
In  a  paper  "  on  the  proximate  principles  of  some  berberidaceae  and 
ranunculaceae,"  contributed  by  the  late  Prof.  Ferdinand  F.  Mayer  to 
the  "American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  1863,  p.  97 — 100,  the  follow- 
ing sentences  are  found:  "  The  rhizome  of  the  mayapple  contains 
both  berberina  and  a  colorless  alkaloid,  a  resin,  a  free  acid,  a  neutral 
odorous  substance  volatilizable  in  white  scales  and  saponin.  When 
the  alcoholic  extract  of  the  rhizome  is  freed  from  alcohol  and  then 
mixed  with  water,  the  latter  dissolves  the  acid,  a  considerable  quantity 
