Chemical examination of kô-sam seeds (Brucea sumatrana, Roxb.) / by Frederick B. Power and Frederic H. Lees.

  • Power, Frederick B. (Frederick Belding), 1853-1927.
Date:
[1903]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of kô-sam seeds (Brucea sumatrana, Roxb.) / by Frederick B. Power and Frederic H. Lees. 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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    through the mixture, in a distilling flask, in order to separate any volatile substances. The distillate had a strongly acid reaction. It was first shaken out with ether, and, after the removal of the latter, there remained a small amount (about 15 Gm.) of a brown, limpid liquid, which had the characteristic odour of the bruised seeds. On distillation, under ordinary pressure, it passed over between 100 and 190° as a faintly yellow liquid, having an odour suggestive of the ethyl esters of butyric and valeric acids. It was accordingly hydrolysed with an alcoholic solution of potassium hydroxide, steam distilled, and the distillate, which contained some oily drops, extracted with ether. After drying the latter liquid, and removing the ether, a very small amount of an oil was obtained, which had a somewhat aromatic odour, but which could not be further examined. The alkaline liquid remaining from the hydrolysis was acidulated with sulphuric acid and steam dis- tilled. The clear acid distillate was treated with barium car- bonate, filtered and evaporated, when a very small amount of a light yellow syrup was obtained, which afforded the reactions indicative of the barium salt of a butyric acid. The original aqueous distillate, which had been extracted with ether, was neutralised with barium carbonate. After filtering and evaporating, a syrupy liquid was obtained, which, on standing for some time, formed a crystalline mass. Its aqueous solu- tion gave with silver nitrate a dense white precipitate which soon became black, owing to reduction, thus indicating the presence of formic acid, which was apparently associated with a very small amount of acetic acid. After separating the vola- tile substances, there remained in the distilling flask a mixture consisting of a dark coloured oily layer and a lower aqueous liquid. These were separated, the oily layer was diluted with light petroleum, filtered, and the petroleum removed by distillation. (1) Fatty Oil. The total amount of oil obtained was 803 Gm., or 20 per cent, of the original drug. It had a dark green colour, due to the presence of chlorophyll. Its density at 17° was 0-917. When a little of it was shaken with a mixture of nitric acid and water, and subsequently heated for a few minutes in a water-bath, it formed, after standing for a few hours, a soft, brownish-yellow mass. 725 Gm. of the oil were hydrolysed by boiling with 185 Gm. of potassium hydroxide, previously dis- solved in alcohol. The alcohol was then distilled off, the residual strongly alkaline soap mixed with sand, dried, and extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with light petroleum.