REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. Lao 
with strong hydrochloric acid and digestion with 2 per cent. sulphuric 
acid at a boiling temperature for a few hours, ammonia removes a little 
humus-like substance. The crude fiber still remains dark and con- 
taminated with some substance which has been blackened by the action 
of the hydrochloric acid. Lichenin seems to form the largest part of 
the plant. It is easily converted to a sugar by boiling with acids. 
A combustion with soda lime shows the presence of albuminoids to 
the extent of 3.6 per cent. of dry substance. 
EXAMINATION OF ‘‘ BONESET,” (EUPATORIUM PERFOLIATUM.) 
Boneset has long had the reputation in domestic medicine of being 
a@ good tonic, especially valuable in the spring. Physicians also have 
attributed to it virtue as a diaphoretic, expectorant, emetic, and anti- 
intermittent. Whether all claimed for it is true must be settled by the 
_ physician, but the present chemical examination has been undertaken 
*y 
with the hope of throwing some light upon the proximate principles to 
which are due the medicinal effects of theherb. Partial analyses have 
been made by W. Peterson (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1851, XVII, p. 206), 
and M. H. Bickley (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1854, XX, p. 495). 
Probably the bitter principle is the only one of medicinal importance. 
itis a brown, uncrystallizable substance, soluble in water and alcohol, 
not solublein ether. It was impossible to pur®fy this substance well. 
Upon evaporation of an alcoholic extract of the drug, a few white 
prismatic crystals were deposited; these crystals were difficultly soluble 
in hot alcohol, and insoluble in ether, water, dilute acids, and dilute 
alkalies. They seem, therefore, to be neither acid nor alkaloid, but rather 
of an indifferent character. 
The drug seems to have very little volatile oil, although its odor may 
be accounted for by the small amount present. Starch is not abundant. 
The tannic acid found gave the usual reactions, except that it failed to 
precipitate tartar emetic from its aqueous solution. The albuminoids 
were calculated from total nitrogen multiplied by 6.25. It is impossible 
to say whether sugar was present in the substance, as the bitter princi- 
ple would probably give similar reactions. 
The following analysis is regarded as an approximation only, but care 
has been taken to eliminate all preventable errors: 
Analysis. 
Per cent. 
4 BUSHTIRD S e AO HSS Bae 5 BS Oe oe) ee Be, ee ae eee ha Ws 
OAL. coc seo ce 05S HSS SRS EA ose ae Oe ae ee ae 2 ee a ee ee ee ae ype! 
PMEMIETMINOTUN sat se acios celeb ee succes cocece sees veh ED BS Se NES Ee the 13. 30 
Peaenceen oro phy likes sob Sue ens coseie comese sabe seit ee eS 15.15 
Peres Crystalline substance .. 5.24 c0csesksncceonen oceaed cous eowced nue - 2. 87 
Con L hd thls.) eget eas Oe ati oe aS AS es ae eS oe em rae, Bee nn 5 Oi 
[a UA EL) “SSS NIA EUTREY 5 SES ee a re ea ye i de ar 18. 84 
nL EB GOUT es Bete OT Spey mete a a Oa ONE ee ce 7.23 
SUP TIRELL TEGTER IE SOS Se IRC ee a oR NE ReaD gh a ed ge IN ie ed Re hg B77 
nce EC See fae ee AE ee ee oa 9. 32 
PSRISISE SL ATICON MET me rity. ome a Chl ee ae a DO tg traces. 
MUCRLTICLG Ummm eter rata os Make) LARTER a ee traces. 
100. 90 
ESTIMATION OF SAPONIN. 
Determinations of Saponin have been made in two materials, viz., 
Quillaye bark (Quillaya Saponaria) and Lignumvitas root bark (@uaia- 
cum o7icinale), with the following result: 
eee RE tees oA chalesocus,suwcemmacnns Hamas wana: 16. 
1 
er cent, Saponin. 
MPEG IRIS ceo Sune Cu ccas antacnceacncacke «21. 
er cent, Saponin, 
mw 
or 
ire 
