BIOLOGICAL PAPERS. 211 



solidifying the entire mass. The crystalline mass as contained in the 

 sirupy evaporate had an odor and taste characteristic of the drug, 

 but very much intensified. It was believed that the active principle 

 or principles were contained within this concentrate, but when the 

 crystals were purified they proved to be of a fatty character. The 

 j)ungency and acridity seem to reside in an oleo-resinous compound, 

 which we have not had the opportunity to study in detail as yet. The 

 acridity of the crystals was due probably to adhering resin. Alcohol 

 dissolved the crystals very sparingly indeed ; chloroform affected 

 them somewhat ; ether had some effect ; but carbon disulphide dis- 

 solved them immediately, from which solution on evaporation the 

 acicular and sheath-like crystals reformed. A few of them were 

 placed on a platinum foil and heated over a Bunsen flame. At first 

 they fused into a globular form. A continued heat carbonized the 

 mass, which evolved grayish-brown fumes. On continuous heating the 

 whole disappeared from the platinum foil. We regret that time has 

 not allowed a chemical examination of these crystals and that a further 

 report on them must be deferred. Our impression is that these 

 crystals are composed of fatty matter in which is dissolved a consider- 

 able amount of the acrid principle. 



Quite recently much interest has been manifested in echinacea 

 from an economic point of view. On October 12 last a representative 

 of a large manufacturing house in Cleveland, Ohio, was sent to me to 

 assist him in the study of the source of echinacea, and to assist him 

 in collecting it. To my surprise, I found the house he represented 

 desired 40,000 pounds of the drug. About three weeks later another 

 Eastern house sent to me, asking that I might assist them in ob- 

 taining collectors who might supply 20,000 pounds. Numerous other 

 smaller demands have been made from the variuus drug houses and 

 manufacturers for large quantities, such as 100-pound or 200-pound 

 lots. We mention this merely to show to what extent the demand for 

 echinacea has grown in the past few years, and also to show what 

 economic value the plant has become to the state. It is safe to say 

 that in one year it has brought to the state over §100,000, as over 

 200,000 pounds have been collected, and it has brought at times as 

 much as fifty cents per pound. In view of this fact, that the demand 

 was so great as to injure the source of supply, we wrote to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, at Washington, D. C, to Rodney H. True, who 

 is in charge of the drug and medical-plant investigation, asking that 

 something be done by the government for the protection of this weed 

 against extermination. Mr. True replied that the matter of cultivating 

 the weed had suggested itself to him, but he was not aware of the 

 shortage of the plant, as I had represented it Under the circum- 

 stances, he said he would be very glad to study the habits of the 



