WESTERN SNEEZE WEED AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 19 



Ten grams were extracted with various solvents in succession : 



Grams. Per cent. 



Petroleum ether extracted 0. 5065 5. 06 



Ether extracted 0. 4800 4. 80 



Chloroform extracted 0. 1611 1. 61 



Alcohol extracted 1. 5834 15. 83 



Total 27. 30 



The ash contained a large proportion of calcium carbonate. The 

 petroleum-ether fraction contained a phytosterol. The ether extract 

 contained fats and a trace of tannin; the chloroform extract con- 

 sisted of resins, tannin, and dugaldin; the alcohol extract contained 

 resin, sugar, dugaldin, tannin, and coloring matter. 



2. Juice. — Total solids, 9.80 grams per 100 ml.; specific gravity, 

 1.042 to 1.052 at 25°; tannin precipitates, 0.335 to 0.364 per cent. 



3. Alkaloids. — The various samples of juice and of aqueous and 

 alcoholic extracts of the plant, after acidification, yield precipitates 

 with Mayer's solution. They were, therefore, investigated for the 

 presence of an alkaloid, but no substance of this class could be isolated 

 from any part of the plant. 



4. Hydrocyanic acid. — Samples of green and of air-dried leaves were 

 tested for cyanides as a routine procedure without yielding any evi- 

 dence of their presence. 



5. Toxic saponins. — Extractions of green and of air-dried leaves 

 were made to isolate toxic saponins and several other extractions, 

 as well as the juice from the leaves , were tested for saponins without 

 revealing their presence. Extracts of the plant strike a green color 

 with aqueous ferric chlorid, but this is due to the presence of a tannin 

 which is precipitated by gelatin solution. 



6. Volatile toxins. — -Eight hundred and fifty grams of air-dried 

 H. hoopesii radical leaves were placed in a still and 3 gallons of water 

 added. The mixture was heated to boiling. The distillate had the 

 characteristic odor of H. hoopesii, due to the presence of a minute 

 quantity of essential oil. It reduced potassium permanganate; 

 gave no color with ferric chlorid; and was neutral in reaction. The 

 total volume of the distillate was 6 liters. This was fed to Sheep 

 429, in divided doses, without producing any effect. 



7. Search jor helenic acid. — (a.) A chloroform extract from 1 kilo- 

 gram of dried radical leaves was freed from chloroform. Following 

 Reeb's procedure, the extract was heated with successive portions of 

 water on the steam bath and filtered. After cooling, the aqueous 

 solution was greenish-yellow in color and had a very small amount 

 of oily matter floating on the surface. It was evaporated to conven- 

 ient bulk and extracted with several portions of chloroform. The 

 chloroform dissolved out 4 grams of green solid, which was not bitter 

 and was nontoxic. 



