Chemical examination of Euphorbia pilulifera / by Frederick B. Power and Henry Browning, jun.

  • Frederick Belding Power
Date:
[1913]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of Euphorbia pilulifera / by Frederick B. Power and Henry Browning, jun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    7/22 page 3
    with a quantity of a dank green, soft resin (B). The latter was separated, and thoroughly washed with hot water, the washings being added to the main portion of the aqueous liquid. Examination of the Aqueous Liquid (A). The aqueous liquid was concentrated under diminished pressure, and then repeatedly extracted with ether. These ethereal liquids were united, concentrated somewhat, and then extracted with 2 per cent, hydrochloric acid, after which the ethereal liquid was washed with water. The combined aqueous acid liquid and washings contained nothing alka- loidal, but deposited a small amount of a yellow, indistinctly crystalline substance. This was collected and treated with bailing alcohol, in which it appeared to be almost insoluble. It dissolved, however, in hot pyridine, from which it separated in small, needle-shaped crystals, which contained solvent of crystallisation and did not melt at 335°. The amount of this substance was only 0 04 gramme, but a larger quantity was subsequently obtained from the ohlloroform ex- tract of the resin, when it was identified as jambulol, U„H304{0H)5. Isolation of Gallic Acid. The combined acid liquid and aqueous washings, from which the above-described substance had separated, were extracted many times with ether, when a semi-crystalline product was obtained. This was treated with hot chloroform, which re- moved some colouring matter, after which it was crystallised from ethyl acetate. A substance was thus obtained in small, nearly colourless needles, which melted and decomposed at 250-253°. 0-0809* gave O'1460 CO, and 0 0289 H20. C = 49 2; H = 4 0. C7H6Os requires C = 49’4; H=3‘5 per cent. This substance was thus found to be gallic acid, with which it agreed in all its properties. Its identity was further con- firmed by the preparation of the trimethyl derivative, which separated from ethyl acetate in flat needles, melting at 164-165°. After shaking the ethereal extract with dilute hydrochloric acid, as above described, it was extracted successively with aqueous ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide. On finally evaporating the ether, only a trace of oily material remained. Each of the alkaline liquids was acidified, when from the sodium carbonate extract a consider- able amount of a yellow substance separated, which was collected. The acidified ammonium carbonate and sodium hydroxide extracts were extracted with ether, when the former yielded a further small amount of gallic acid, and the latter only a trace of amorphous material.
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image