ON CHRYSANTHEMUM PARTHENIUM. 
201 
Third, treated with pure gelatine, displayed a dense, cloudy 
precipitate. 
Fourth, with a persalt of iron, an abundant dark bluish 
precipitate. 
Fifth, with a protosulphate of iron, changed to a deep 
blackish color. 
I placed a portion of the plant in a small still, adding enough 
water to cover it, and heating until there had distilled over 
more than a pint; on removing the receiver, the surface of 
the contained liquid presented a slight pellicular appearance 
of essential oil, which had the aromatic taste and smell of the 
plant, without its bitterness. 
The decoction thus prepared, was divided into many por- 
tions, to one of which was added iodine, which produced no 
change. To another, ammonia, without any change, except a 
slight deepening of the color. To a third, a persalt of iron. 
To a fourth, protosulphate of iron. The effects produced by 
these agents differed only by being more intense, from those 
observed in the cold infusion. To a fifth, was added sub- 
acetate of lead, which threw down a very copious precipitate; 
it was then filtered, and through the clear liquid sulphuretted 
hydrogen was passed to super-saturation; after which, it was 
boiled to dissipate the superfluous gas, filtered and evaporated. 
The result was a brown matter, having a moderately bitter 
astringent taste, very slightly the peculiar one of the matri- 
caria; this was dissolved in alcohol, and evaporated with very 
little or no difference in the product. A sixth, was concen- 
trated by slow evaporation, without ebullition, until it had the 
consistence of a thin syrup; when in this state, and whilst hot, 
boiling alcohol was poured in, and produced, as was expected, 
a dense and consistent coagulum; the alcohol was filtered, and 
evaporated, and yielded an extract of intense, but pleasant 
bitterness, followed by an after taste of marked astringency. 
The coagulum consisted almost exclusively of gum and tan- 
nin. A seventh was evaporated, and produced an extract 
similar to the preceding in flavor, but weaker. Several 
portions of the decoction, and also of the extract, were agitated 
