Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  I 
Aug.,  1880.  j 
A r alia  Spinosa. 
slowly  to  dryness,  mixing  again  with  water  and  filtering,  then  adding 
fresh  oxide  of  lead  and  allowing  to  stand  for  two  months,  it  still 
answered  to  tests  for  tannin. 
The  residue  from  the  etherial  solution,  after  washing  with  water,  was 
found  to  be  resin.  It  is  a  brown  opaque  mass  ;  powdered,  it  is  of  a 
light  brown  color,  solid,  brittle,  fusible,  and  volatilized  by  a  high  heat ; 
it  is  slightly  acrid,  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  insoluble  in  water, 
benzin  and  chloroform. 
The  residue  from  the  alcoholic  extract,  after  being  treated  with 
benzin  and  ether,  is  entirely  soluble  iu  water,  from  which  it  is  precipi- 
tated by  acetate  of  lead  in  the  form  of  a  heavy  yellow  adherent  mass, 
which  carries  down  mechanically  the  bitter  principle  ;  this  can  be  sepa- 
rated by  washing  with  alcohol.  Upon  evaporation,  a  lightish  yellow 
substance,  in  scale,  is  obtained,  which  from  the  following  experiments 
was  proved  to  be  a  glucoside  ;  to  this  the  name  of  Araliin  is  given. 
Its  solution  has  no  effect  on  litmus.  It  is  soluble  in  alcohol  and  dilute 
acetic  scid,  very  soluble  in  water,  foaming  excessively  upon  agitation, 
and  the  froth  being  quite  persistent  ;  not  soluble  in  benzin,  chloroform 
or  ether.  Acetate  lead  has  no  effect  upon  its  solution  ;  no  precipitate 
is  produced  by  platinic  chloride  or  bichloride  of  mercury  ;  no  action 
by  nitric  acid  and  chromate  potash,  nor  does  it  answer  to  any  of  the 
tests  for  alkaloids.  Hydrochloric  acid  bleaches  the  araliin,  and  deve- 
lops the  peculiar  odor  of  the  plant  ;  the  effect  of  sulphuric  acid  is  sim- 
ilar.   Potassium  hydrate  and  ammonia  have  no  effect. 
Dissolve  araliin  in  water  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  ;  upon 
boiling,  a  white,  insoluble,  tasteless  and  odorless  precipitate  is  formed, 
for  which  I  propose  the  name  Araliretin.  After  filtering,  testing 
filtrate  for  glucose  by  cupric  sulphate  and  excess  of  caustic  potash,  and 
boiling,  a  heavy  precipitate  of  red  oxide  of  copper  is  formed,  showing 
the  bitter  principle  to  be  a  glucoside.  Araliin  boiled  with  potassio- 
cupric  tartrate  produced  precipitate  of  red  oxide  of  copper,  confirming 
the  preceding  test.  When  araliin  is  boiled  with  hydrate  potash  an 
amber  color  is  produced. 
Upon  addition  of  tannic  acid  in  cold  solution  no  change  takes  place, 
but  upon  the  application  of  heat  a  flocculent  precipitate  is  formed. 
