276 COMPOSIT A. 
the officinal flowers by exhausting them with hot water acidu- 4 
lated with acetic acid, concentrating, precipitating with alcohol, 
evaporating the filtrate, and treating with chloroform. It is 
described as colourless silky needles having an agreeable odour — 
of chamomile, a strongly bitter taste, and dissolving in water, 
alcohol, ether and chloroform. ‘he precipitate obtained with - 
alcohol is stated to contain a tasteless crystalline principle, 
anthemidin, which is insoluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform, 2 
but soluble in acetic acid. 
~The volatile oil is a dark blue, in thin layers transparent 
thickish liquid, which gradually turns green and brown when a 
exposed to light and air, and more rapidly if obtained from 
dried flowers; it has a strong odour of the flowers and a warm 
aromatic taste; dissolves in about 8 parts of 80 per cent 
alcohol, has the specific gravity 0°93, and seems to consist of a 
terpene,C!°H'®, associated with C!°H'8O. The volatile oil 
becomes dark-brown, or green with strong or diluted nitric 
acid, and deep red-brown with sulphuric acid. The blue colour 
is due to the presence of a volatile principle which was named — 
azulene by Piesse and ceerulein by Gladstone (1863), and which 
according to both investigators, is present in all other volatile 
oils having a blue or green colour—in the latter associated with 
a yellow priniciple. (Stillé and Maiseh.) | 
_. Chrysanthemum coronarium, Zinn., Lam., Ill. ¢. se 
678, f. 6,-a native of the Mediterranean region, is conseienela eS. 
cultivated in Indian gardens, and is a favourite flower with 
both Hindus and Mahometans. It blossoms in the cold season, 
and there are two distinct varieties, one with large flowers, ant 4 
another with small. The flowers are of various colours, and 
when dried impress a peculiar pricking sensation on thetongue 
like pyrethram. Dalzell and Gibson ( Bombay Flora it., 48,) - 
state that they are a’ tolerablé substitute for ‘akeaoniatb 
mK to Dr. Walker (Bombay Med. and Phys. Trans., 1840, 
71,) the people of the Deccan administer the plant in con- 
jonttioe with black: pepper as a remedy for gonorrheea. ‘The 
- wernacular names: wat Gul-dat 
fe 
Wied ans Ae edeeae ae 3 
Br te Ses ae Oe eae ee er ie A ee ath ee 
