Am.  Jour.  Pliartii. 
March,  1888- 
Analysis  of  Poke  Root. 
123 
ANALYSIS  OF  POKE  EOOT. 
By  Wm.  a.  Partee,  Ph.  G. 
Abstract  from  a  Thesis. 
The  root  of  Phytolacca  decandra,  Lin.,  was  examined  according  to 
the  scheme  of  Dragendorff 's  Plant  analysis.  The  air-dry  powder  was 
found  to  contain  10  percent,  of  moisture,  and  yielded  11.2  per  cent,  of 
ash,  consisting  of  the  chlorides  and  sulphates  of  potassium,  magnesium, 
aluminium  and  iron,  potassium  predominating.  The  gases  given  off 
on  burning  the  root  produced  dizziness. 
Petroleum  spirit  extracted  from  the  root  0.23  per  cent,  of  soluble 
matters,  which  on  evaporation  Avere  left  as  a  semi-solid  brown  trans- 
lucent extract,  free  from  fat,  but  containing  a  wax  melting  at  109 °C. 
Treatment  of  the  powder  with  ether  yielded  0.18  per  cent,  of  ex- 
tract, which  did  not  respond  to  tests  for  alkaloids,  and  from  the  alco- 
holic solution  of  which  water  precipitated  a  bright  yellow  powder, 
which  could  not  be  obtained  in  crystals. 
Absolute  alcohol  dissolved  from  the  residuary  powder  1.42  per 
•cent,  of  soluble  constituents.  On  slow  evaporation  to  a  small  bulk, 
the  tincture  yielded  an  extract  containing  a  few  crystals.  The  aqueous 
solution  of  the  extract,  tested  with  ferric  chloride  and  gelatin,  gave 
■evidence  of  the  presence  of  tannin,  and  after  precipitating  this  with 
lead  acetate,  Fehling^s  solution  showed  glucose.  A  much  larger  pre- 
•cipitate  of  cuprous  oxide  was  obtained  from  the  aqueous  solution 
which  had  been  previously  boiled  with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  thus 
indicating  the  possible  presence  of  a  glucoside.  Precipitates  were  also 
obtained  with  tannin  and  potassio-bismuth  iodide,  but  an  alkaloid 
-could  not  be  observed  in  the  aqueous  or  acidulated  solution,  which  had 
a  bitter  taste,  an  unpleasant  odor  and,  on  vigorous  agitation,  a  decided 
foamy  appearance. 
About  200  gm.  of  the  root  were  now  treated  with  strong  alcohol, 
and  the  extract  boiled  with  a  small  quantity  of  absolute  alcohol,  from 
which,  on  standing,  some  acicular  crystals  separated.  The  aqueous 
solution  of  the  extract  freed  from  tannin  as  before,  was  acidulated  with 
sulphuric  acid  and  agitated  successively  with  petroleum  spirit,  benzol 
and  chloroform ;  then  rendered  alkaline  and  the  same  treatment  re- 
peated ;  but  no  residue  was  obtained  from  these  solvents. 
The  powdered  root  exhausted  with  alcohol  yielded  to  water  about 
15  per  cent,  of  soluble  matter.  After  precipitating  the  gum  with  al- 
<;ohol  (66  per  cent.),  the  filtrate  was  evaporated,  the  residue  treated 
