AmMay^S5arni }      Some  Derivatives  of  Chimaphilin.  237 
chimaphilin  was  obtainable  from  dry  Chimaphila  metadata,  and, 
besides  isolating  it  from  both  species  by  the  method  of  Fairbanks, 
he  extracted  it  by  percolating  the  dried  drug  of  the  C.  ambellata  with 
petroleum  ether.  The  crystals  so  obtained,  after  repeated  crystalli- 
zation, were  found,  by  him,  to  melt  between  1 1 30  and  1140  C,  and 
to  have  a  composition  represented  by  the  formula  C24H2104. 
The  same  investigator  also  found  three  other  crystalline  princi- 
ples, which  were  designated — according  to  their  appearance — as 
matted  crystals,  melting  at  1530  C. ;  tufted  crystals,  having  a  melt- 
ing point  of  166-1670  C. ;  glistening  crystals,  not  melting  at 
2500  C. 
This  work  of  investigating  the  derivatives  of  chimaphilin  was 
undertaken  at  the  suggestion  of  Professor  Trimble,  and  was  con- 
ducted  under  his  direction. 
The  chimaphilin  used  in  these  experiments  was  procured  by  dis- 
tilling water  with  the  coarsely-ground  Chimaphila  umbellata  of  the 
market.  The  crystals  were  collected  from  the  condenser  and  the 
light  yellow  distillate.  The  color,  odor  and  taste  of  the  latter  sug- 
gesting the  presence  of  dissolved  chimaphilin,  it  was  accordingly 
shaken  with  ether,  which  removed  all  color,  and,  upon  evaporation, 
left  a  very  small  quantity  of  chimaphilin,  and  some  volatile  oil  of  a 
strong  odor. 
When  freshly  isolated,  the  crystals  had  a  melting-point  of  1090 
C.  By  recrystallization  from  alcohol  of  specific  gravity  -820,  and, 
through  precipitation  of  a  concentrated  alcoholic  solution  with 
water,  the  melting-point  was  raised  to  1140  C. 
The  solubilities  of  the  principle  were  found  to  be  the  same  as 
those  assigned  it  by  former  investigators. 
When  applied  in  the  dry  state  to  the  skin,  the  crystals  pro- 
duced, after  a  few  minutes,  a  burning  sensation,  which  became  quite 
intense.  That  the  identity  and  purity  of  the  crystals  might  be 
further  proven,  they  were  submitted  to  ultimate  analysis,  the  result 
of  which  is  compared  with  the  composition  assigned  the  principle 
by  Peacock. 
Found.        Calculated  for  Co4H2i04 
Per  Cent.  Per  Cent. 
Carbon  77*3o  77-21 
Hydrogen  576  5  63 
Oxygen  ,  16*94  17  16 
