Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  1896. 
North  American  Conifer  ce. 
417 
the  bark  of  the  stem  and  roots  of  this  species.  The  material  was 
collected  in  June. 
The  moisture,  ash  and  tannin  were  first  estimated  in  separate  por- 
tions, with  the  following  percentage  results  : 
Ash  in 
Tannin  in 
Moisture. 
Absolutely 
Absolutely 
Dry  Bark. 
Dry  Bark. 
10-47 
4-21 
8-66 
10-65 
5*03 
i7"5i 
The  constituents  of  the  ash  in  both  were  found  to  be  potassium 
and  calcium,  combined  with  phosphoric  and  carbonic  acids. 
The  stem  bark  yielded  to  absolute  alcohol  17  43  per  cent,  of  oleo- 
resinous  extract,  of  which  an  amount  representing  3-59  per  cent,  of 
the  original  drug  was  found  to  be  soluble  in  petroleum  ether,  and 
consisted  of  volatile  oil,  resin  and  wax.  The  remaining  13-84  per 
cent,  of  the  alcoholic  extract  .consisted  of  resin  and  tannin,  from 
which,  by  deducting  the  tannin,  we  obtained  5-18  per  cent,  of  resin. 
In  the  same  manner  we  found  in  the  root  bark  26-37  per  cent,  of 
total  absolute  alcohol  extract,  3-30  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil  and  wax, 
and  5-56  per  cent,  of  resin. 
The  aqueous  extraction  of  the  residual  bark,  after  treatment  with 
absolute  alcohol,  yielded  considerable  amounts  of  mucilage  and 
glucose. 
A  quantity  of  the  tannin  was  prepared  from  the  root  bark,  puri- 
fied and  submitted  to  elementary  analysis,  with  the  following 
percentage  results  : 
Carbon  59*44 
Hydrogen   5-72 
These  figures,  with  the  behavior  towards  iron  salts  and  bromine 
water,  indicate  that  the  tannin  of  the  blue  spruce  belongs  to  the 
oak  bark  group. 
ECONOMICS. 
The  wood  of  this  species  is  very  similar  in  its  texture  to  that  of 
the  other  spruces  already  described.  Its  chief  use  at  the  present 
time,  so  far  as  we  know,  is  as  an  ornamental  tree  for  parks  and  lawns, 
for  which  purpose,  on  account  of  its  beautiful  color  and  compact 
habit,  it  is  especially  adapted. 
