452  Analyses  of  Two  Echinacea  Roots.     {AmoJobIr  Su™' 
tory  in  the  green  condition,  and  after  careful  identification  by  Dr. 
L.  H.  Harvey,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  botanical  work,  were 
ground  while  still  fresh.  A  large  quantity  of  this  material  was  trans- 
ferred to  percolators  and  exhausted  with  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  as  will 
be  described  later. 
A  small  sample  was  air-dried,  and  then  ground  and  sieved.  This 
was  used  for  the  proximate  analyses.  The  Brauneria  purpurea  was 
received  in  the  air-dried  condition  and  ground  and  sieved  by  us. 
The  roots  were  quantitatively  extracted,  with  the  following 
results : 
Extract.  B.  angustifolia.         B.  purpurea. 
Ligroin  (35°-55°J    077  0.93 
Ether  (no°)    1.26-  1.18  1.61 
Alcohol    (iio°)   1970-19.94  18.28 
The  proximate  analyses  were  conducted  in  accordance  with  the 
usual 6  methods,  and  gave  the  results  tabulated  in  the  following  table : 
B.  angustifolia.  B.  purpurea. 
Moisture    10.90  10.18 
Starch    Absent  Absent 
Pentosans    15.6     15. 1  15.6 
Crude  Fiber   2477,  24.46  29.65,  29.51 
Protein    6.54,    6.96  5.31,  5-17 
Ash   7-76  6.93 
The  residues  left  after  extracting  with  alcohol  were  next  digested 
with  cold  water,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  if  any  dextrin-like 
substances  were  present.  The  residue  left  after  extracting  ten 
grammes  of  the  root  of  B.  angustifolia  with  alcohol,  when  digested 
with  cold  water  yielded  considerable  soluble  material.  The  aqueous  ex- 
tract was  quantitatively  made  to  a  volume  of  20  ex.  (2  c.c.  =  1.0 
gramme  root).  Four  cubic  centimetres  of  this  was  diluted  to  50  c.c, 
and  25  c.c.  of  this  solution  showed  no  reducing  action  on  Fehling's 
solution.  The  other  25  c.c.  was  hydrolyzed  with  hydrochloric  acid, 
whereupon  it  showed  the  presence  of  0.0682  Gm.  lasvulose,  equiv- 
alent to  6.14  per  cent,  of  "  inuloidTike  "  material. 
The  remainder  of  the  original  aqueous  solution  (16  c.c.)  was 
made  up  to  a  volume  of  18  c.c.  with  lead  subacetate.  A  heavy  precip- 
itate was  removed  by  filtration.  This  filtrate  then  has  a  concentra- 
tion of  0.4445  Gm.  of  the  root  per  cubic  centimetre.  It  showed  a 
rotation  of  -  2.3 °,  Ventzke  in  a  1  dcm.  tube.  Assuming  a  specific  rota- 
°U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.  of  Chem.  Bull.  107  (Revised). 
