Chemical examination of the bark of Euonymus atropurpureus / by Harold Rogerson.

  • Rogerson, Harold.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of the bark of Euonymus atropurpureus / by Harold Rogerson. 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.

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    substance in a purer form, and found that it was not a glucoside, since it did not reduce Fehling’s solution after boiling for three hours with aqueous sulphuric acid. From the results of an analysis it was considered to be “ either identical with, or an isomeride of, dulcite.” The presence of dulcitol in the bark has since been confirmed by M. Hoehnel (Pharm. Zeit., 1900, 45, 210). From the above brief resume of the literature it will be seen that, with the exception of the occurrence of dulcitol, nothing of a very definite nature has been known regarding the constituents of - euonymus bark. It was therefore deemed of interest to subject it to a complete examination, and the results obtained are embodied in the present communication. Experimental. The material employed in the present investigation consisted of a good quality of the root-bark of Euonymus atropurpureus, Jacquin, which conformed in its characters to the description given in the Pharmacopoeias. As a preliminary experiment, a small quantity (10 grams) of the ground material was tested for the presence of an alkaloid, but with a negative result. Twenty-five grams of the ground bark were extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with various solvents, when the following amounts of extract dried at 100° were obtained: Petroleum extracted 0’50 gram = 2‘00 per cent. Ether „ 0-20 „ = 0-80 „ „ Chloroform ,, 0’25 ,, = 1-00 ,, „ Alcohol ,, 3-05 ,, = 12-20 ,, ,, Total 4-00 grams = 16‘00 per cent. For a complete examination of the drug a quantity (22‘79 kilo- grams) of the ground material was thoroughly extracted by continu- ous percolation with hot alcohol. After removing most of the alcohol, a dark-coloured extract amounting to 7 95 kilograms was obtained. Distillation of the Extract with Steam. Separation of an Essential Oil. The above-mentioned extract was subjected to distillation in a current of steam until all the volatile constituents had passed over. The distillate, which contained a small amount of solid substance and some oily drops floating on the surface, was extracted with ether. The ethereal liquid was dried, and the solvent removed, when a small quantity (2’3 grams) of an essential oil was obtained.