ON  EUPATORIUM  PERFOLIATUM. 
495 
ON  EUPATORIUM  PERFOLIATUM. 
By  Mortimer  H.  Bickley. 
("Extracted  from  an  Inaugural  Essay.) 
There  are  several  valuable  items  of  the  Materia  Medica  which 
are  constituted  so  peculiarly  that  they  puzzle  the  chemist  in  his 
attempts  at  seizing  on  and  isolating  the  principle  or  principles 
which  give  them  activity,  so  as  to  say  with  certainty  what  is  and 
what  is  not  worthy  of  such  a  character.  Mr.  Bickley  has  chosen 
one  of  this  class  which  has  frequently  been  tried  before  by  essay- 
ists.   The  following  remarks  are  condensed  from  his  thesis. 
Eupatorium  contains  a  large  amount  of  matter  soluble  in  cold 
water,  as,  when  exhausted  by  that  fluid,  it  yields  40  per  cent,  of 
extract.  The  cold  aqueous  infusion  was  found  to  contain  a  little 
tannin,  gallic  acid,  albumen,  gum,  and  saccharine  matter. 
The  residue,  dried  and  percolated  with  alcohol,  afforded  on 
evaporation  an  extract,  consisting  of  chlorophylle,  wax,  resin,  etc. 
A  new  portion  of  the  flowering  tops  and  leaves,  when  distilled 
with  water,  afforded  a  slightly  milky,  odorous  distillate,  which 
was  considered  as  containing  volatile  oil. 
When  a  strong  tincture  is  thrown  into  water  a  resinous  matter 
precipitates. 
The  ashes  of  eupatorium  contain  carbonates  of  potassa  and 
lime,  and  oxide  of  iron. 
With  a  view  to  isolating  the  bitter  principle,  Mr.  Bickley  em- 
ployed the  process  of  M.  Lebourdais.  A  quantity  of  cold  infusion 
was  prepared  from  the  powdered  eupatorium,  and  passed  slowly 
through  a  thick  layer  of  purified  animal  charcoal,  as  long  as  it  was 
deprived  of  color  and  taste.  The  charcoal  was  then  washed  with 
water,  dried  and  treated  with  boiling  alcohol  of  95°.  The  alcoholic 
liquid  was  filtered  and  evaporated  until  reduced  to  a  light  brown, 
extremely  bitter  extract  soluble  in  ether,  but  slightly  in  water. 
Its  alcoholic  solution  by  slow  evaporation  deposits  a  yellow, 
slightly  crystalline  substance,  extremely  bitter  and  nauseating. 
Mr.  Bickley  did  not  proceed  further  in  his  experiments,  so  as  to 
determine  the  nature  of  this  yellow  matter,  which  is  to  be  regretted, 
unless  himself  or  some  other  investigator  will  commence  where  this 
essay  leaves  the  subject,  and  explore  it  thoroughly. 
