ON  CASTOR  OIL  BEANS. 
207 
with,  ether  and  agitated,  when  small  crystalline  grains  attached 
themselves  to  the  sides  of  the  bottle.  They  were  insoluble  in 
cold  alcohol. 
The  above  experiment  yielded  so  small  a  quantity  of  crystal- 
line matter,  that  it  was  with  a  slight  alteration  repeated,  After 
treating  the  beans  with  ether  and  boiling  alcohol  a3  before,  the 
sediment  which  collected  on  cooling  was  removed  and  exhausted 
by  cold  water.  This  watery  fluid  should  contain  any  principle 
existing  in  the  seeds,  which,  like  amygdalin,  is  soluble  in  cold 
water  and  boiling  alcohol,  but  insoluble  in  cold  alcohol.  This 
aqueous  liquid,  however,  failed  to  affect  a  solution  of  emulsin, 
and  did  not  yield,  upon  evaporation,  any  perceptible  amount  of 
solid  matter. 
The  peculiar  odor  of  castor  oil  which  is  generated  when  the 
beans  are  bruised  with  water,  was  much  more  readily  developed 
when  specimens  eight  or  ten  years  old  were  used,  than  when 
those  collected  last  year  were  tried.  With  the  former,  a  few 
minutes  maceration  was  sufficient,  but  the  others  did  not  yield  it 
after  twelve  hours  contact  with  cold  water.  The  marc  left  from 
the  successive  action  of  ether  and  alcohol  upon  the  old  beans, 
evolved  a  peculiar  odor  after  three  days  maceration. 
The  distilled  water  of  castor  oil  beans  possessed  a  peculiar  and 
nauseous  odor,  quite  distinct  from  that  of  the  oil.  Its  opalescence 
was  not  removed  by  agitation  with  ether.  Ether  did  not  appear 
to  take  anything  from  it.  It  was  found  to  be  decidedly  purga- 
tive in  doses  of  f.§ss.  In  4  or  5  cases  in  which  it  was  tried,  it 
operated  promptly ;  one  fluid  ounce  produced  both  purging  and 
vomiting. 
The  marc  which  was  left  was  cathartic  in  doses  of  14  and  28 
grains. 
An  ethereal  tincture  prepared  by  percolation  and  subsequent 
spontaneous  evaporation  until  the  ether  was  driven  off,  was  ad- 
ministered in  doses  of  f.^ij.  and  f.giv.  in  seven  cases,  in  all  of 
WThich  it  proved  a  certain  and  milder  cathartic. 
The  beans,  after  treatment  with  alcohol  and  ether,  produced  no 
medicinal  effect  in  the  dose  of  28  grains. 
These  experiments  seem  to  show  that  these  beans  have  a  con- 
stitution differing  markedly  from  that  of  the  bitter  almond.  The 
former  do  not  appear  to  develope  their  powers  until  they  have  ac- 
