558 
Gymnocladus  Canadensis. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t      Nov.,  1892. 
Various  parts  of  the  tree  were  submitted  to  proximate  analysis. 
The  pulp  surrounding  the  beans  was  first  examined,  and  found  to 
contain  17-5  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  5-5  per  cent,  of  ash.  The 
greenish  color  disappeared  with  the  wax  removed  by  petroleum 
ether,  with  the  resin  removed  by  stronger  ether,  and  with  the 
sugar  removed  by  alcohol. 
The  first  two  solvents  removed  nothing  worthy  of  note,  but  the 
absolute  alcohol  extracted  glucose,  and  a  substance  giving  all  the 
reactions  of  a  glucoside.  Water  extracted  4-8  per  cent,  of  mucilage, 
7'4  per  cent,  of  dextrin  and  organic  acids,  which  were  proven  to  be 
tartaric  and  citric,  the  former  predominating. 
The  inner  part  of  the  bean  was  found  to  have  a  slight  acrid  taste, 
and  to  contain  10.00  per  cent,  of  greenish-yellow  fixed  oil,  having  a 
specific  gravity  of  0-913,  and  easily  saponified  by  the  fixed  alkalies. 
It  was  slightly  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  and  readily  soluble  in 
petroleum  ether  and  ether.  The  presence  of  saponin  was  strongly 
indicated  in  the  alcoholic  extract. 
The  testa  was  found  to  contain  5-00  per  cent,  of  fat  and  l-J  per 
rent,  of  green  wax,  the  latter  having  an  acrid  and  nauseating  taste. 
Gallic  and  tannic  acids  were  shown  to  be  absent. 
The  pod  yielded  to  petroleum  ether  3  8  per  cent,  of  a  greenish- 
yellow  fat,  to  stronger  ether  1-7  per  cent,  of  a  greenish  substance 
soluble  in  acidulated  water,  and  to  absolute  alcohol  a  brownish 
substance  soluble  in  water. 
The  bark  of  the  tree  was  exhausted  with  petroleum  ether,  which 
dissolved  about  io-oo  per  cent,  of  a  greenish  fixed  oil,  having  a 
specific  gravity  of  0-933,  and  easily  saponified  by  the  fixed  alkalies, 
but  sparingly  by  ammonia.  It  was  found  to  be  almost  insoluble  in 
absolute  alcohol,  but  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform,  benzol  and 
glacial  acetic  acid.  No  indications  of  alkaloid  were  obtained  in 
any  of  the  parts  examined.  Saponin  appears  to  be  the  principle  to 
which  the  physiological  activity  of  the  plant  is  due,  and  was  found 
in  all  parts. 
Note. — The  seeds  were  examined  by  Samuel  S.  Mell,  in  1887.1 
He  found  IO  OO  per  cent,  of  fixed  oil,  having  a  specific  gravity  of 
0-919.  He  also  found  a  little  tannin  and  a  glucoside.  The  tannin 
was  not  detected  by  Mr.  Martin,  although  he  noticed  a  principle 
1  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1887,  page  230.  * 
