AmMJa°rch,?£m"}    Asclepias  Cornuti  and  Asclepias  Tuberosa.  115 
and  again  agitated  with  the  same  solvents.  I  obtained  no  crystals 
from  these  solutions,  but  the  petroleum  ether  gave  a  peculiar  residue, 
having  an  odor  analogous  to  that  of  musk,  and  which  is  probably  the 
odorous  principle  observed  by  Rhoads  in  1861. 
The  residue  of  the  Asclepias  tuberosa  was  next  exhausted  with  ab- 
solute alcohol,  and  the  alcoholic  solution  treated  in  the  same  manner 
as  was  the  Asclepias  Cornuti.  The  aqueous  solution  of  the  residue 
upon  agitation  with  ether  and  evaporation  of  the  ethereal  solution 
yielded  crystals  which,  on  redissolving  in  ether,  crystallized  from  that 
liquid  in  the  form  shown  in  Fig.  D.  The  crystals  obtained  from  both 
the  ether  and  alcohol  appear  to  be  one  and  the  same  compound.  The 
crystals  all  reduced  Fehling's  solution  and  gave  the  following  color 
reactions : 
(a)  With  sulphuric  acid  they  gave  first  a  brown  color,  gradually 
changing  to  a  blackish  brown. 
(6)  With  sulphuric  acid  and  bichromate  potassium  they  assumed  at 
first  a  deep  brown  color,  but  on  allowing  to  stand  thirty  minutes  a 
purple  color  was  produced  which  was  very  distinct  in  thin  layers. 
(c)  Nitric  acid  after  some  time  produced  a  slight  pinkish  color. 
(d)  Hydrochloric  acid  and  ferric  chloride  developed  no  change  of 
color. 
This  principle  exists  in  the  drug  in  very  small  quantities,  only 
enough  being  obtained  from  one  hundred  grams  of  the  drug  to  make 
the  tests  as  given  above. 
The  residue  of  the  Asclepias  Cornuti  was  then  treated  successively 
with  water,  a  weak  alkaline  solution,  a  1  per  cent,  acid  solution  and 
chlorine  water. 
In  these  solutions  were  found,  by  the  usual  methods  of  detection 
and  estimation,  sugar,  5*16  per  cent.,  of  which  3*29  per  cent,  was  sac- 
charose. Mucilage,  3'6  per  cent. ;  trace  of  dextrin  j  albuminoids,  2*4 
per  cent. ;  calcium  oxalate,  2*75  per  cent,  j  coloring  matter,  8*92  per 
cent. 
The  drug  contained  7\L6  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  5'35  per  cent,  of 
