"""^FebirXt'"'}         Coloring  Principle  of  Frasera  Walteri,  71 
The  COLORING  PRINCIPLE  of  FRASERA  W  ALTERI,  Mich. 
By  J.  U.  Lloyd. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  January  20. 
In  1840  Mr.  J.  W.  Douglass  examined  the  root  of  this  plant  (Ameri- 
can Columbo),  discovering  a  yellow  crystalline  substance.  This  he 
obtained  in  very  small  amount,  and  impure,  from  which  reason  he 
could  not  determine  its  nature  with  satisfaction,  the  conclusion  being 
that  the  substance  was  a  mixture  of  gallic  acid  and  a  yellow  coloring 
principle  ("Am.  Jour.  Ph.,"  vol.  xii.  p.  177).  Mr.W.  R.  Higinbothom 
again  investigated  the  constituents  of  this  root  (1857),  obtained  the 
vellow  principle,  but  failed  to  purify  it,  ascribing  to  it  "  a  bitter  and 
nauseous  taste,"  and  stating  that  it  was  "  partially  soluble  in  chloro- 
form "  (''Am.  J.  Ph.,"  vol.  xxxiv,  p.  23).  In  1868  Mr.  F.  W. 
Thomas  submitted  the  root  of  this  plant  to  a  chemical  examination, 
preparing  the  coloring  principle  and  ascribing  to  it  a  bitter  taste  and 
acid  reaction.  "  These  crystals,  when  laid  on  moist  litmus  paper^ 
reddened  it  decidedly  "  ("Am.  J.  Ph.,"  vol.  xl,  p.  310). 
In  1873  Mr.  G.  W.  Kennedy  obtained,  by  a  complex  manipulation^ 
yellow  crystals.  These  possessed  acid  properties,  and  were  supposed 
by  Mr.  Kennedy  to  be  gentisic  acid  (gentianin  or  gentianic  acid)» 
("Proc.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.,"  1873.)  From  a  review  of  the  published 
articles  upon  this  subject  it  may  be  readily  supposed  that  the  coloring 
matter  of  the  root  is  the  acid  obtained  by  Mr.  Kennedy,  and,  arguing 
therefrom,  we  may  well  infer  that  the  preceding  examinations  resulted 
in  the  discovery  of  this  same  substance  in  a  more  or  less  pure  state 
where  reference  is  made  to  the  yellow  coloring  matter,  more  especially  as 
two  of  the  gentlemen  ascribe  to  it  acid  properties.  In  connection  with  the 
subject,  permit  me  to  call  attention  to  the  specimens  of  crystals  accom-^ 
panying  this  paper,  and  the  experiment  instituted  for  the  purpose  of 
determining  more  carefully  the  nature  of  a  substance  previously  obtained 
by  the  writer  from  the  root  of  Frasera  Walteri. 
Carefully-selected  root  of  Frasera  Walteri  was  coarsely  powdered  and 
dried  by  exposure  to  a  current  of  warm  air  (ioo°F.)  in  a  drying  room. 
Of  this  powder  ten  avoirdupois  pounds  were  taken  and  submitted  to 
percolation  in  a  narrow  cylindrical  percolator,  thus  obtaining  all  prac- 
tical contact  between  menstruum  and  powder.  The  menstruum, 
employed  was  warnj  alcohol,  s.g.  '835,  the  operation  being  conducted 
in  a  warm  room.    The  first  five  pints  of  percolate  were  reserved^, 
