Drugs and medicines of North America : a publication devoted to the historical and scientific discussion of botany, pharmacy, chemistry and therapeutics of the medical plants of North America, their constituents, products and sophistications.

Date:
1884-1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Drugs and medicines of North America : a publication devoted to the historical and scientific discussion of botany, pharmacy, chemistry and therapeutics of the medical plants of North America, their constituents, products and sophistications. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    313/354 (page 269)
    and but in small amount by chloroform, benzol and benzine, and it is nearly dissolved in a solution of caustic alkali. It is, really, a mixture, one con- stituent of which is an acrid resin (soluble in ether and alcohol), and this im- parts most of the acridity to the rhizome. Another is a resin that is soluble in alcohol and nearly insoluble in ether. Neither of these substances is crys- talline. Mr. L. F. Beach* reports that by following Conard's process with com- mercial cimicifugin,f he obtained crystals of the hexagonal system.']: As we have never succeeded in obtaining crystals from it, we submitted some of the pure precipitate to Prof. Virgil Coblentz, with a request that he obtain these crystals for us, and to otherwise report on the substance. We herewith sub- mit the result of his investigation : Examination of Cimicifugin for the Detection of a Crystalline Substance.—(By- Virgil Coblentz, Professor of Chemistry in the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy.)—The alcoholic solution of the cimicifugin was colored greenish black (no precipitate) by ferric chloride. After pro- longed boiling in an excess of water, about forty per cent, of the substance was dissolved, which solution readily reduced Fehling's solution. The undissolved residue was a brownish colored resin (brittle), which retained the acrid taste and peculiar odor characteristic of the drug. The portion soluble in the boiling water possessed a sweetish taste free from acridity, and gave a slight precipi- tate upon the addition of an acid, it possibly being due to a principle, similar to glycerrhizin in its nature; gummy and mucilaginous principles were also present in this aqueous solution. The resin- ous residue remaining after treatment with boiling water possessed an acrid and slight bitter taste, and on resolution in alcohol and precipitation in water, became of much lighter color. The original principal I cimicifugin) was subjected to Conard's process (see page 262). It was found that decol- orization with alumnic hydrate was unnecessary. As the alcohol slowly evaporated, a clear, pale yellow brittle resin separated upon the sides of the beaker. It was inodorous and of an acrid taste, requiring for solution a large excess of ether. The operation was repeated several times, with larger amounts of material, with same results as before. This resinous-like substance, after prolonged boil- ing with water acidulated with hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, was split into sugar and another sub- stance which separated as a gray amorphous mass. This was washed and dried. It was soluble in alcohol; insoluble in ether, chloroform, turpentine, carbon disulphide, benzine or baryta water. Its alcoholic solution is not colored by ferric chloride When warmed with sulphuric acid (dilute) it gives a purple color ; other acids and iodine do not affect it. The following may be inferred to be the composition of the so-called resinoid : - . ill- f Gum ; coloring matter ; a sweet principle (reducing Fehling's Portion soluble in water | s'0iution) ; mucilage. V 8 {A resinous-like substance possessing acrid taste of drug, that splits into sugar and another substance on treatment with dilute acids. The result of my investigation was entirely negative in my attempt to obtain a crystalline prin- ciple from the so-called cimicifugin. Fluid Extract of Cimiciftiga.—Prof. Wm. Proctor first recommended a formula for making this preparation in the American Journal of Pharmacy, 1854, p. 107, and next Prof. J. M. Maisch sug- gested a process in the American Journal of Pharmacy, 1859, p. 313. Both these processes were defective from the fact that ether was unnecessarily used, and that water was a large constituent of the final liquid. One of the processes employed sugar. Hence, Prof. Proctor recommended to the American Pharmaceutical Association, 1859, that alcohol only be used, a process that has not been improved upon to the present day. (See Pharmaceutical Preparations, p. 266.) * American Journal of Pharmacy, 1876, p. 375. f This is indefinite. Commercial cimicifugin is of questionable composition. X See pp. 264, 265, 266.