ON  SAPONINE  AND  SENEGINE. 
45 
This  acid  is  a  white  uncrystalline  substance,  almost  insoluble 
in  cold  water  and  ether,  but  soluble  in  hot  water  and  alcohol, 
and  occasions  strong  frothing.  Fleury  found  its  composition  to 
be  C  57.260,  H  8.352,  0  34.388. 
I  treated  a  clear  aqueous  solution  of  the  bitter  matter  of  senega 
with  diluted  sulphuric  acid  ;  after  some  time  it  became  tur- 
bid from  the  separation  of  white  flocks.  By  filtration  and  wash- 
ing, which  is  very  troublesome,  on  account  of  the  gelatinous  na- 
ture of  the  solid  substance,  a  powder  was  obtained,  which  after 
drying  exhibited  all  the  properties  of  sesculinic  acid.  I  also 
prepared  the  same  substance  from  a  decoction  of  senega,  with- 
out previously  separating  the  senegine,  and  prepared  this  sub- 
stance from  the  saponine,  which  was  made  according  to  Bussey's 
directions. 
The  analyses  of  these  substances  afforded  the  same  formulae 
for  their  composition,  namely,  C24  H18  O10 
Supported  by  these  analyses,  it  may  be  with  certainty  as- 
sumed, that  the  peculiar  principles  of  senega  and  soap  root  are 
one  and  the  same  body,  and  in  spite  of  the  difference  which  these 
analyses  and  that  of  Fleury  shows,  it  is  in  the  highest  degree 
probable  that  this  tesculinic  acid  is  nothing  else  than  the  product 
of  decomposition,  which  is  afforded  by  the  action  of  dilute  acids 
on  saponine  as  well  as  on  senegine,  and  also  that  Quevenne's 
aside  polygalique  modifie,  obtained  by  the  action  of  muriatic  acid 
on  his  senegine,  is  the  same  body. 
As  was  to  be  expected,  a  hydrate  of  carbon  was  obtained,  and 
at  the  same  time  sugar,  or  a  sweet  body  possessing  the  known 
reaction  on  an  alkaline  solution  of  copper. 
According  to  the  analogy  of  salegenine,  this  product  of  the 
decomposition  of  senegine  may  be  termed  sapogenine. 
It  is  very  probable  that  water  is  taken  up  by  saponine  when  it 
is  broken  up  into  sapogenine  and  sugar,  as  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing equation : — 
4  equivalents  of  sugar  C48  IJ40  O40 
1         «        sapogenine  C24  Hi8  O10 
072  H38  O50    2  (C36  H24  O20)+10  HO. 
Annals  of  Pharmacy,  from  Annalen  der  Chemie* 
