198 



Kansas Academy of Science. 



testines, liver, heart and spleen were normal. The effect seemed 

 to be upon the nervous system. 



In experimental work upon the subjoined list of weeds, the idea 

 in the pharmaceutical laboratory was to ascertain whether the 

 barium, if present, would be imparted to a digestive fluid or would 

 be rendered soluble in an artificial gastric fluid. The weeds were 

 ground very finely; 250-gram samples were used. One portion 

 was macerated with water in the cold, while another was boiled for 

 eight or nine hours after macerating. The samples were then di- 

 gested with artificial gastric fluid. In making the gastric fluid 

 double the amount of pepsin was used as prescribed by the United 

 States Pharmacopoeia in the pepsin test. Each sample was di- 

 gested for two and one-half hours at body temperature. Barium was 

 found only in four samples of the weeds, which will be indicated 

 in the table below. The method used for determining the barium 

 was that used by Crawford, of the Bureau of Animal Industry. 

 The solutions were concentrated and acidified with hydrochloric 

 acid and then precipitated by means of sulphuric acid. The pre- 

 cipitate was collected and weighed as barium sulphate. 



In testing the manganese content the persulphate method was 

 used, and manganese was found in the digestive fluid, as indicated. 



Barium, 

 per cent per gm. 



3790 Solidago tenuifolia 



3791 Agrimony parviflora 



3792 Erigeron canadensis 



3793 Croton capitatus 



3794 Aplopappus ciliatus 



3795 Sambucus canadensis 



3799 Ambrosia artemisiaefolia 



3800 Ambrosia trifida 



3850 Vernonia baldwinii Tarr 



3851 Baptisia 



3852 Osage orange 



3853 Rumex crispus 



3854 Sonchus asper 



3865 White field corn 



Equisetum hyemale 



*Oxythropis lamberti (Pursh) 



0.21 



Manganese, 

 per cent. 



0.21 



06 



0.26 



'Meade county, near Meade, Kan. 



