Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Sept ,  1876.  J 
Caumerin  and  its  Uses. 
COUMARIN  AND  ITS  USES. 
BY  LOUIS  VON  COTZHAUSEN,  PH.G. 
[From  an  Inaugural  Essay.} 
In  preparing  coumarin  from  tonka  beans,  they  were  grated  and  ex- 
hausted  by  ether  ;  on  evaporating  the  solvent,  crystals  of  coumarin, 
rendered  impure  by  fatty  matter,  were  obtained  and  purified  by  repeated 
crystallization  from  alcohol.  Sixteen  troyounces  of  tonka  yielded  117 
grains  of  coumarin.  This  is  the  process  of  Boullay  and  Boutron- 
Charlard.  A  somewhat  smaller  amount  was  obtained  by  substituting 
petroleum-benzin  for  the  ether,  and  this  solvent  is  recommended  as 
being  more  economical.  Coumarin  was  obtained  in  a  similar  manner 
also  from  the  dried  herbs  of  Asperula  odorata,  Lin.,  Melitolus  officinalis,, 
Pers.,  Liatris  odoratissima,  Willd,  and  Galium  triflorum,  Mich. 
The  last  named  herb  is  frequently  collected  in  this  country  by  Ger- 
mans under  the  supposition  that  it  is  the  Waldmeister  (Asperula  odor- 
ata) of  Germany,  which  is  extensively  used  there  in  making  the  pleasant 
May-wine,  which  is  prepared  by  macerating  the  herb  in  a  cheap  quality 
of  Rhine  wine  and  adding  sugar  and  a  few  drops  of  orange  or  lemon 
juice  to  suit  the  taste.1  Galium,  like  Asperula,  belongs  to  the  order 
of  Rubiaceae,  on  drying  acquires  a  fragrant  odor,  due  to  coumarin,  and 
contains  also  an  astringent  principle,  a  yellow  resin,  a  fatty,  rather 
unpleasant  oil,  and  grape  sugar. 
Coumarin  is  proposed  by  the  author  as  an  ingredient  in  the  following 
preparations,  taking  the  place  of  tonka  beans  and  some  of  the  herbs 
mentioned  above  : 
Extr.  New  Mown  Hay. — Coumarin  gr.xii.,  essence  of  rose  3ss5 
cologne  spirit  ^ii. 
Ext*-.  Mille  Fleurs. — Coumarin  gr.x.,  oil  of  cinnamon  gtt.ii.,  oil  of 
rose  gtt.iii.,  oil  of  neroli  gtt.v.,  oil  of  lemon  gtt.xv.,  tincture  of  musk 
gr.xv.,  tinct.  benzoin  gtt.xx.,  cologne  spirit  ^iii. 
Extr.  Tonquin  Musk. — Musk  gr.x.,  cologne  spirit  ^iii.;  digest,  filter 
and  add  oil  of  neroli  gtt.i.,  Coumarin  gr.xii.,  extract  of  vaniila  ^ii. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Tonka. — Dissolve  tonka  ^viii.  with  strong  alcohol,, 
reserve  the  first  six  fluidounces,  evaporate  the  remainder  to  2  fluid- 
ounces  and  mix. 
1  Instead  of  wine,  cider  is  often  employed  for  this  purpose,  and  besides  the  As- 
perula, small  quantities  of  the  leaves  of  the  black  currant,  strawberry,  melissa,  speed- 
well and  ground  ivy  (Nepeta  Glechoma,  Benth.)  are  sometimes  added.— [Editor. 
