THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
SEPTEMBER,  1880. 
CORNUS  CIRCINATA. 
By  Robert  Gibson,  Jr.,  Ph.G, 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  bark  used  for  my  experiment  was  obtained  from  North  Caro- 
lina, and  I  subjected  it  to  the  following  process  : 
Two  pounds  of  the  bark  in  moderately  coarse  powder  were  mace- 
rated with  cold  water  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  transferred 
to  a  percolator  and  cold  water  poured  upon  it  until  the  displaced  liquid 
passed  colorless  and  tasteless.  The  percolate  obtained  was  of  a  deep 
red  color,  and  showed  by  testing  with  the  sesquichloride  of  iron,  the 
presence  of  tannm,  to  deprive  it  of  which  the  menstruum  was  treated 
by  continuous  agitation  with  the  carbonate  and  the  oxide  of  lead. 
First  used  the  carbonate  and  then  the  oxide,  and  found  that  the  oxide 
detannated  it  much  more  readily.  Then  I  used  the  oxide  exclusively 
in  detannating,  then  filtered  it,  and  obtained  a  filtrate  of  a  much  lighter 
color  and  of  a  bitter  astringent  taste. 
This  menstruum  was  evaporated  down  to  the  consisteney  of  a  soft 
extract,  which  was  of  a  bright  red-brown  color  and  of  a  very  bitter 
taste,  and  much  more  lasting  than  the  taste  left  by  the  menstruum. 
Treated  this  extract  with  stronger  alcohol,  successively,  until  thor- 
oughly exhausted  of  the  bitter  principle,  and  mixed  the  alcoholic  solu- 
tions, and  obtained  an  alcoholic  solution  containing  the  bitter  princi- 
ple, associated  with  some  sugar  and  coloring  matter,  and  an  insoluble 
waxy-like  mass  as  a  residue  which,  on  being  dissolved  in  water  and 
heated  with  a  few  drops  of  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  solution  of 
soda  and  sulphuric  acid,  produced  the  characteristic  brown  precipitate, 
showing  the  presence  of  sugar. 
Then  to  the  alcoholic  solution  added  solution  of  subacetate  lead  in 
sufficient  quantity  to  precipitate  the  coloring  matter,  then  filtered  it,  and 
passed  sulphuretted  hydrogen  through  it  to  remove  the  lead  \  filtered, 
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