Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1919. 
Scammory  Substitutes. 
389 
form  than  is  true  scammony  resin  or  the  Mexican  scammony  resin. 
It  is  more  slowly  soluble  in  alkalies  than  is  true  scammony  resin,  as 
also  is  that  of  the  Mexican  scammony.  All  three  gave  markedly 
cloudy  solutions  in  ammonia  and  in  potassium  hydroxide  solution, 
but  the  insoluble  portions  were  so  fine  that  the  solution  passed 
through  an  analytical  filter  without  clearing  and  without  collecting 
an  appreciable  residue  on  the  filter.  Acidulating  the  alkaline  solu- 
tions did  not  precipitate  the  resin  in  any  case. 
The  alcoholic  solution  of  Resina  drastica  reduced  Fehling's  both 
before  and  after  heating  with  weak  sulphuric  acid.  It  is  thus  uncer- 
tain whether  the  resin  has  a  glucosidal  character  or  not. 
The  supply  was  limited  and  a  separation  plan  could  not  be  car- 
ried out. 
In  general  character,  this  resembles  both  true  and  Mexican 
scammony  resins.  It  is  slightly  more  acid  and  is  more  strongly 
levorotatory.  Its  color  alone  would  distinguish  it,  and  treatment 
with  decolorizing  charcoal  does  not  take  out  the  color  appreciably. 
When  freshly  precipitated  it  has  an  agreeable  tea-like  odor  which 
disappears  on  drying.  Probably  a  small  amount  of  volatile  oil  is 
present  in  the  drug.  The  powdered  resin  resembles  scammony 
resin  in  odor. 
The  special  distinguishing  features  of  the  three  resins  are :  ( 1 ) 
The  brownish  color  of  true  scammony  resin,  and  the  very  deep  green 
color  which  it  gives  with  iron  salts,  (2)  the  light  color  of  Mexican 
scammony  resin,  producing  a  colorless  alcoholic  solution,  and  giving 
almost  no  color  with  iron  salts  and  (3)  the  deep  lemon-yellow  color 
of  the  Resina  drastica. 
The  iron  test  distinguishes  quite  sharply  between  true  and  Mex- 
ican scammony  when  a  ferrous  salt  is  used.  If  0.5  Gm.  of  the  resin 
be  dissolved  in  10  mils  of  alcohol  and  0.5  mil  of  a  10  per  cent,  aque- 
ous solution  of  ferrous  sulphate  added,  the  Mexican  scammony 
resin  shows  only  a  very  faint  green  while  the  others  become  dark 
green  and  on  standing  deposit  a  dark  mass,  leaving  an  olive-green 
supernatant  liquid. 
Subsequent  efforts  to  obtain  another  sample  of  the  Resina  dras- 
tica for  botanical  study  have  failed,  though  samples  of  drugs  hav- 
ing a  different  character  were  sent.  It  seems  probable  that  several 
botanical  species,  closely  allied,  are  seeking  a  market  as  scammony 
or  scammony  substitutes. 
Laboratory  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Company. 
Detroit,  Mich. 
