Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Sept.,  1880.  ) 
Viburnum  Pruuifolium. 
441 
ness,  left  a  brown  residue  of  a  slightly  bitter  and  astringent  taste.  The 
precipitate  containing  sulphide  of  lead  was  then  treated  with  hot  alco- 
hol ;  the  resulting  solution  was  of  a  dark  brown  color,  and  gave  the 
following  results,  alcohol  having  been  previously  added  to  the  test  solu- 
tions :  Solution  of  mercury  bichloride  first  becomes  clear  by  oxidation, 
then,  if  more  be  added,  a  grayish-white  precipitate  is  produced  ;  chlo 
ride  of  iron,  greenish-black  ;  caustic  potash,  clear,  then  a  brown  pre- 
cipitate ;  caustic  soda,  dark  brown;  subacetate  of  lead,  brownish-gray. 
Ethereal  Percolate. — Three  ounces  of  the  bark  were  exhausted  with 
ether,  the  resulting  percolate  being  of  a  dark  green  color,  which  gave 
a  decided  precipitate  with  solution  of  gelatin  ;  was  then  detannated 
with  oxide  of  lead,  evaporated  to  dryness,  and  the  bitter  principle  taken 
up  with  stronger  alcohol,  which  leaves,  on  evaporating,  a  light  yellow- 
ish-green mass,  of  a  neutral  reaction,  and  of  a  purely  bitter  taste,  slightly 
soluble  in  water  and  freely  so  in  alcohol  ;  this  corresponds  in  all  respects 
to  the  viburnin  obtained  by  Kramer  from  Viburnum  opulus.  The 
bark,  after  treating  with  ether,  was  then  percolated  with  water  ;  this 
percolate  was  found  to  have  an  acid  reaction  ;  it  was  then  rendered 
alkaline  by  lime  water,  when  a  dark  precipitate  was  obtained  ;  this  was 
filtered  and  tested  for  tartaric  acid,  but  none  was  found.  Then  a  por- 
tion of  the  precipitate  was  washed  with  dilute  solution  of  hydrochloric 
acid,  which,  on  being  neutralized  with  ammonia,  and  acetic  acid 
added,  gave  a  precipitate  of  oxalic  acid,  also  with  solution  of  acetate  of 
soda. 
The  filtrate  obtained  from  lime  water  precipitation  was  boiled  ;  when 
another  precipitate  was  obtained  this  was  filtered  out,  the  precipitate 
washed  with  diluted  acetic  acid  ;  this,  when  ammonia  was  added, 
remained  clear,  but  on  boiling  a  precipitate  of  citric  acid  was  obtained. 
To  the  clear  filtrate  obtained,  on  boiling,  an  equal  bulk  of  alcohol  was 
added,  when  a  precipitate  of  malate  of  calcium  was  obtained  ;  this  was 
washed  on  a  filter  with  alcohol  to  remove  coloring  matter,  then  with 
boiling  water  to  dissolve  the  malate.  Acetate  of  lead  added  to  this  solu- 
tion precipitated  malate  of  lead,  and  when  heated  first  agglutinated, 
then  fused. 
Valerianic  Acid. — A  decoction  of  a  half  pound  of  bark  was  then 
percolated  with  hot  water;  this  percolate  has  an  acid  reaction,  and  on 
being  distilled  with  sulphuric  acid  the  distillate  is  slightly  colored,  has 
an  odor  of  old  apples  and  an  acid  reaction  ;  this  was  neutralized  with 
the  officinal  solution  of  caustic  soda,  sp.  gr.  i '07 1,  evaporated  to  dry- 
