Chemical examination of the barks of Brucea antidysenterica, Lam. and Brucea sumatrana, Roxb. / by Arthur H. Salway and Walter Thomas.

  • Salway, Arthur Henry.
Date:
[1907]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical examination of the barks of Brucea antidysenterica, Lam. and Brucea sumatrana, Roxb. / by Arthur H. Salway and Walter Thomas. 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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    The substance was tlius identified as a phytosterol, and it appears to be identical witli that isolated from the fatty oil from the fruit of both Brucea antidysenterica and B. sumatrana [loc. cit.). The alkaline liquid from which the phytosterol had been extracted, as above described, was acidified with sulphuric acid and again extracted with ether. About 2 Gm. of solid fatty acids were thus obtained, which were crystallized from alcohol, but it was found impossible to separate them in a state of sufficient purity to permit of their identification. The portions of resin extracted by the other above-men- tioned solvents were, as indicated, small in amount, and no crystalline substances could be isolated from them. This investigation of the bark of Brucea antidysenterica has shown that, hke the fruit of the same species, it contains some bitter substances, but in neither case could these be obtained in the form of definite products. II.—Examination op the Bark of Brucea Sumatrana. By Walter Thomas. A quantity of the bark of this species of Brucea was obtained through the kindness of Mr. H. N. Ridley, Director of the Botanic Gardens of the Straits Settlements, Singapore. Its collection was attended with considerable difficulty, for, as stated in a communication from Mr. Ridley to Messrs. Burroughs, Wellcome and Co., of London, the plant is a tender shrub, the stems of which are barely an inch in diameter, and the bark not easil}' removed. It was also noted that, although the bark is distinctly bitter, it is much less so than the fruit, and therefore probably contains less of the bitter principle. The bark was in thin strips, of a Light brown colour externally, and paler on the inner surface. A portion of the finely ground material was extracted successively in a Soxhlct apparatus with various solvents, when the following amounts of extract, dried at 100°C., were obtained :— Petroleum (b.p. 35-50°C. ) Ether Chloroform Alcohol Water 0-42 per cent. 0-G8 0-86 2-40 Total 9-98 per cent.