6  The  Leaves  of  Magnolia  Glauca.  {Ami£Z\m&tm' 
u  As  a  very  pretty  ornamental  plant,  the  Bitter  Root  would  prove 
quite  an  acquisition  to  our  gardens." 
The  roots  of  the  above  plant  as  received  by  me  were  free  from  bark, 
of  a  white  color,  and  ready  for  use  as  food.  No  evidence  of  sugar  as 
glucose  or  saccharose  could  be  obtained.  Tests  for  tannin  likewise 
gave  negative  results.  The  most  important  constituents  are  starch, 
gum  and  mucilage,  the  last  two  are  not  readily  precipitated  by  alcohol. 
The  following  summary  gives  the  amount  of  the  most  important  food 
constituents. 
Fat,  resin  and  wax   4*98 
Gum  and  mucilage  :   14  80 
Albumenoids   3  •  58 
Starch   857 
Moisture   12'17 
Ash  \   253 
Woody  fibre  and  undetermined   53*37 
10000 
The  amount  of  starch  found  may  appear  small  when  we  consider 
the  uses  of  the  root,  but  the  large  amount  of  gum  and  mucilage  make 
up  for  this  deficiency. 
THE  LEAVES  OF  MAGNOLIA  GLAUCA,  LINNfi. 
By  Wilbur  Fisk  Kawlins,  Ph.  G. 
Abstract  from  a  Thesis. 
The  leaves  are  three  to  six  inches  long,  one  and  a  half  to  two 
inches  in  width,  have  a  prominent  mid-rib,  are  pinnately  veined,  ellip- 
tical, petiolate,  coriaceous,  deep  green  upon  the  upper  side  and  of  a 
beautiful  glaucous  color  underneath.  Twenty  pounds  were  collected 
in  the  early  part  of  September.  After  drying  they  weighed  eight 
pounds,  the  loss  being  sixty  per  cent.  They  were  then  reduced  to  a 
number  eighty  powder. 
Two  grams  of  the  drug  heated  in  an  air-bath  at  a  temperature  of 
110°  C.  lost  ten  per  cent.,  and  when  incinerated  left  10  per  cent,  of 
ash. 
Fifty  grams  of  the  powdered  leaves  were  placed  in  a  flask,  covered 
with  petroleum  spirit  and,  after  maceration,  exhausted  ;  five  per  cent,  of 
the  drug  was  soluble  in  petroleum.  This  residue  when  heated 
to  110°  C.  lost  four-tenths  per  cent.  Absolute  alcohol  left  four-tenths 
of  one  per  cent,  of  insoluble  waxy  matter  melting  at  64°  C. 
