A™ctober,^89Tn  }    Important  Constituents  of  Taraxacum  Root.  545 
solution  at  a  low  temperature,  and  dry  the  residue  over  sulphuric 
acid.  This  has,  however,  the  disadvantage  of  being  a  wasteful  pro- 
cess. The  dried  product  dissolved  in  acetone  behaves  as  stated  above. 
Although  the  crystallization  of  taraxacin  at  present  seems  almost 
impossible,  it  has  not  been  given  up  as  hopeless. 
Analysis  of  Taraxacerin. — The  result  of  the  combustion  of  this 
principle  may  be  here  stated.  Several  combustions  were  made,  but 
only  three  recorded ;  of  these  three,  the  second  and  third  seemed 
to  be  the  most  reliable.  A  tabular  statement  of  the  percentages  is 
as  follows : 
1.  2.  3. 
Carbon  77'36  77*i6  77*32 
Hydrogen  11-55  U'*3  iri3 
Oxygen  11*09  n  71  n*55 
Mean  of  1,  2,  3  : 
C  77-28 
H  11*27 
0  ii*45 
Mean  of  2  and  3  : 
C  77*24 
H  11 -13 
O  11*63 
Reducing  the  percentages  of  the  last  table,  the  following  amounts 
appear : 
77 '24  6*4803 
H„«*S  =  11-13  H23  =  I5.20 
I  7324 
-      H'63  7324 
Taraxacerin  would  therefore  correspond  to  the  empirical  formula 
C9Hl50,  or  a  multiple  thereof. 
The  melting  point  of  this  substance  was  about  45  0  C.  Its  chem- 
istry will  probably  be  worked  out  in  detail  in  the  future.  For  aid 
in  this  work  in  combustion  I  am  especially  indebted  to  Mr.  W.  M. 
Whitten,  Assistant  in  Chemistry  of  the  Kansas  University,  who 
promises  in  the  future  to  aid  in  its  further  study. 
Inorganic  Constituents  of  Taraxacum  Root. — Ash  in  dried  root 
(dried  at  ioo°  C),  11-13  Per  cent- 
CONSTITUENTS  OF  ASH. 
Per  cent. 
Si02  and  sand   43*27 
Al2o3  .   v;..  v  X  5         ,  v^V  "18-07 
Fe203   o-8o 
