i5o 
Veratrum  Viride. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       April,  1876. 
A  portion  of  the  "  veratroidia  "  was  then  digested  in  a  solution  of 
caustic  soda  to  remove  as  much  resin  as  possible  ;  after  washing,  it  was 
dissolved  in  dilute  acetic  acid,  precipitated  by  soda,  washed,  again  dis- 
solved in  acetic  acid,  and  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  potassium  added 
(causing  an  immediate  precipitate).  After  standing  twelve  hours,  the 
solution  was  filtered  to  free  it  from  nitrate  of  jervia  j  addition  of  caustic 
soda  now  produced  but  a  small  amount  of  precipitate,  this  had  a  light 
yellow  color  and  reacted  as  follows  : 
With  sulphuric  acid,  an  evanescent  purple,  changing  immediately  to 
brown,  then  passing  to  a  mahogany  red. 
With  hydrochloric  acid,  in  the  cold,  an  immediate  purple-pink ;  on 
heating,  the  color  becomes  greenish-yellow.1 
The  remainder  of  the  product  was  then  dissolved  in  acetic  acid, 
addition  of  nitrate  of  potassium  again  afforded  the  jervia  reaction. 
The  color  reactions,  as  shown,  are  of  little  value  in  determining  the 
presence  of  veratria  mixed  with  jervia ;  the  continued  precipitation 
caused  by  nitrate  of  potassium,  as  the  resin  is  more  perfectly  removed, 
points  to  the  conclusion  that  jervia  and  resin  make  up  the  product 
called  "  veratroidia." 
Experiment  Second. — Having  ascertained  that  muriate  of  jervia, 
as  also  muriate  of  veratria,  were  soluble  in  a  menstruum  composed 
of  alcohol,  one  part,  and  water,  two  parts,  acidulated  with  hydrochloric 
acid,  the  following  method  of  obtaining  the  products  from  the  drug 
was  tried  : 
PART  FIRST. 
Take  of  Powdered  veratrum  viride  root,  .  .    5  pounds 
Clean  sand,   .  .  .  10  " 
Alcohol,  95  per  cent.,         .  .  .10  pints 
Water,  .  .  .  20  " 
Hydrochloric  acid,  .  .  *  •    7j  fluidounces 
The  powdered  root  mixed  with  the  sand  was  moistened  with  the 
menstruum.  After  standing  twenty-four  hours  it  was  transferred  to  a 
glass  percolator  and  displaced  with  the  remainder  of  the  menstruum. 
Displacement  was  then  continued  with  water  until  thirty  pints  of  per- 
colate was  obtained.  The  alcohol  was  distilled  off  and  the  watery 
solution  evaporated  to  five  pints.  To  this  a  solution  of  caustic  soda 
was  added  to  decided  alkaline  reaction,  to  dissolve  the  resin  and  pre- 
1  Pure  veratria  gives  no  color  when  dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid  in  the  cold. 
