IS 
Gaultherin. 
(  A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t    January,  1895. 
of  Betula  lenta  was  taken  for  investigation.  Preliminary  experiments 
established  the  absence  of  preformed  volatile  oil ;  the  94  per  cent, 
alcoholic  tincture,  always  possessing  the  odor  of  wintergreen,  indi- 
cated the  unexpected  decomposition  of  the  glucoside  in  strong 
alcoholic  solution ;  to  prevent  this  decomposition  the  bark  was 
extracted  with  lead  acetate  (15  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  bark) 
in  strong  alcoholic  solution,  whereby  the  ferment  is  rendered  inactive. 
Such  a  tincture  possesses  no  odor  of  wintergreen.  After  precipitating 
the  lead  with  hydrogen  sulphide,  the  liquid  is  concentrated  by  dis- 
tilling of!  the  alcohol ;  the  brown  syrupy  residue  is  taken  up  in 
absolute  alcohol,  filtered  from  the  insoluble  substances,  and  the 
filtrate  mixed  with  several  volumes  of  ether,  when  a  voluminous 
white  precipitate  is  produced,  which  agglutinates  to  a  yellow,  plastic 
mass.  This,  redissolved  in  alcohol  and  allowed  to  evaporate  spon- 
taneously, forms  a  thick  liquid,  in  which  are  slowly  formed  star- 
shaped  groups  of  short,  prismatic  crystals.  The  crystals,  separated 
by  suction  from  the  mother-liquor  (this  by  exposure  for  several 
months  to  low  temperature  did  not  separate  any  additional 
crystals;  it  consisted  almost  entirely  of  a  reducing  sugar,  and  con- 
tained but  traces  of  gaultherin,  as  distillation  with  dilute  acids  failed 
to  give  appreciable  quantities  of  the  oil),  and  recrystallized  several 
times  from  alcohol  after  digesting  with  animal  charcoal,  were 
obtained  as  colorless,  crystalline  needles.  The  name  gaultherin 
is  retained  for  the  same  reasons  given  by  Procter. 
Gaultherin  is  quite,  although  in  the  crystallized  condition  only 
slowly,  soluble  in  water ;  also  soluble  in  alcohol  and  concentrated 
acetic  acid  without  decomposition  ;  ether,  chloroform,  aceton,  benzol, 
do  not  dissolve  it.  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  dissolves  it,  with  a 
pale  rose  color,  changing  quickly  to  brown  and  black.  It  does  not 
melt  without  decomposition;  a  little  above  ioo°  C.  the  odor  of 
gaultheria  becomes  perceptible,  and  at  1200  C.  it  commences  to 
become  brown.  The  freshly  prepared  aqueous  solution  is  not 
colored  by  ferric  salts  even  after  boiling.  Fehling's  solution  is  not 
reduced  in  the  cold,  but  quickly  upon  boiling.  Heated  with  small 
quantities  of  mineral  acids,  the  odor  of  wintergreen  is  recognizable, 
and  the  fluid  becomes  milky,  and,  if  sufficiently  concentrated, 
deposits  heavy,  oily  drops;  the  solution  then  quickly  reduces 
Fehling's  solution. 
Gaultherin,  in  aqueous  solution,  is  laevogyre ;  it  possesses  a  purely 
