486  Gentian  Root  said  to  contain  Tannin.  {Km^Z.;J^rm- 
bid  \  ether  dissolved  it  partially,  leaving  a  white  flakey  residue,  and 
alcohol  acquired  a  yellow  color  without  affecting  the  shape  of  the  ex- 
tract, which  appears  to  consist  mainly  of  caoutchone.  From  the  al- 
coholic solution  a  warty  crystalline  mass  was  obtained,  which  responded 
to  the  test  for  euphorbon  as  given  by  Fliickiger  (u  Pharmacographia," 
p.  504). 
The  author  did  not  succeed  in  isolating  the  emetic  principle,  and  in 
concluding  his  essay,  he  states  that  only  two  houses  in  this  city  quote 
Euphorbia  ipecacuanha  in  their  price  lists,  but  one  only  haa1  it  in  stock, 
charging  for  it  75  cents  per  pound.  On  examining  a  dozen  price  lists 
from  eclectic  druggists  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  one  from 
Boston  was  the  only  one  quoting  it,  and  from  that  house  a  package 
was  obtained,  marked  Euphorbia  Americana,  but  containing  the  root  of 
Gillenia  stipulacea.1  If  it  was  ever  used  to  any  extent,  the  drug  has 
evidently  become  obsolete  and  might  well  be  dropped  from  the- 
"  Pharmacopoeia. " 
GENTIAN  ROOT  SAID  TO  CONTAIN  TANNIN. 
BY  JOHN  M.  MAISCH. 
In  a  paper  published  in  the  March  number  of  this  journal  (p.  117- 
121),  the  writer  has  discussed  the  question,  whether  gentian  root  con- 
tains tannin,  and  from  his  experiments  and  the  investigations  of  others, 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  tannin  is  entirely  absent,  and  that  the 
inky  coloration,  occurring  on  the  addition  of  ferric  chloride  to  a  strong 
infusion  of  gentian  is  due  to  gentianic  (gentisic)  acid  and  to  the  pres- 
ence of  a  body  producing  a  dark  green  fluorescence. 
A  brief  abstract  of  the  paper,  giving  the  principal  results,  has  found 
its  way  into  the  "  Pharmaceutische  Centralhalle  "  of  July  13,  and  is  there 
accompanied  by  a  statement  from  Dr.  Hager,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  translation  : 
"  Gentian  root  is  collected  from  different  species  of  Gentiana.  It 
is  therefore  explainable  that  one  sample  may  be  free  from  tannin,, 
while  another  may  contain  it.  This  observation  has  been  repeatedly 
made  in  the  preparation  of  Hager's  quinia  and  iron  pills  ;  hence  the 
remark  in  Hager's  "  Phar.  Praxis,"  vol.  II,  p.  23  :  '  the  roots  of  some  of 
1  Our  experience  has  been  similar  to  that  of  Mr.  Dilg  ;  several  years  ago  we  were 
unable  to  find  this  root  in  the  market,  and  on  several  occasions  were  supplied  with, 
the  root  of  Gill,  stipulacea. — Editor. 
