96 
which melted at 2370 and which might have possibly represented 
a bioxv-bimethoxyxanthon. Besides this sample of roots we had 
yet two others in much smaller quantities of unknown origin; a tho- 
rough examination of these smaller samples was impossible but we 
had found in one of them a substance that differed materially from 
the one mentioned before; after being treated with acids it gave a 
sugar which contrary to our expectations did ferment in the im- 
pure state with yeast, viz. could not be identical with rhamnose. 
Thanks to the kindness of J. H. Burckhill Esq. of the Indian Museum 
of Caleutta we were in the position to examin samples of Datisea 
Cannabina roots collected in the Punjab. 
The roots were worked up in the following manner. They were 
extracted with boiling alcohol and the extract evaporated to dryness, 
The resinous mass obtained was next treated with boiling water 
which dissolved a large portion of the residue leaving a brown re- 
sinous mass undisolved; this latter could be separated easily by de- 
vantation from the aqueous solution. The aqueous solution gave 
after some hours standing a yellowish white voluminous precipitate 
which was filtered off, washed with water and reerystallized once 
more from boiling water. The erytals obtained were next dissolved 
in a very small quantity of alcohol and a large quantity of ether 
added. After 24 hours from this solution very pure erystals were 
deposited, which after renewed crystallisation from boiling water 
and drying in a desicator at ordinary temperature melted at 190%. 
The melting point was not influenced by further crystallisations. 
The second mother liquor which was coloured more or less 
strongly brownish was mixed with ether, which produced a white 
preeipitate. The latter purified in the manner described by erystal- 
lizing from a mixture of aleohol and ether gave a white erystalli- 
zed product identical with the former one. The substance isolated 
represents undoubtedly a glucoside like body, which under the tre- 
atment of hydrolizing agents splits up into a substance difficultly 
soluble in water and a sugar like body which will be examined 
thoroughly later on. 
Our attention was drawn first of all to the insoluble desinte- 
gration product which possesses properties akin but not identical to 
those shown by the product studied by one of us with Schunck. 
The purification of this substance was carried out as follows: 
The raw product was reerystallized several times from boiling 
