176 
Parthenium  Hysterophorous. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1897. 
the  researches  of  Ulrici  published  in  Guyet's  paper,  it  is  presumed 
that  the  substance  is  a  purified  form  of  that  to  which  was  assigned 
the  formula  C]9H28N06.  It  is  described  as  follows  :  "  Large  rectan- 
gular prisms,  with  pyramids  on  four  lateral  sides.  It  is  odorless, 
very  bitter,  quite  readily  soluble  in  water — still  more  so,  however, 
in  hot  water — in  alcohol,  ether  and  chloroform.  It  gives  colored 
identity-reactions  with  sulphuric  acid  and  with  potassium  bichro- 
mate." 
Fig.  7.  Particles  from  powder,  magnified  about  200  diameters,  c.  h.,  chaff 
hairs ;  c,  fragment  of  chaff ;  a,  fragment  of  anther  wall  ;  p,  pollen  grain  ;  df 
spiral' ducts. 
Such  is  the  scanty  knowledge  of  Tovar's  parthenine  and  Ulrici's 
parthenicine.  In  neither  case  is  that  very  important  means  of 
identity — the  melting  point — nor  the  color  of  stated  reactions 
given. 
So  the  means  of  identification  of  the  active  principle  isolated 
by  the  writer  with  the  so-called  parthenine  and  parthenicine  are 
almost  missing. 
On  resuming  the  study  of  the  plant,  the  first  efforts  were  in 
estimating  the  loss  of  water  in  desiccation. 
