132 
Ceanothus  Amerieanus. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(.      March,  1884. 
phosphates,  sulphates,  and  carbonates  in  the  hydrochloric  acid  solution 
(the  iron  may  have  been  derived  from  the  mill  during  grinding). 
Thirty  grams  of  the  powdered  air-dry  leaves  were  exhausted  with 
pure  benzol  and  the  liquid  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  yield- 
ing an  extract  weighing  1*507  grams  =  5*64  per  cent.  This  was 
treated  with  warm  water,  allowed  to  cool,  filtered,  and  the  filtrate 
tested  for  alkaloids  and  glucosides  with  negative  results.  The  undis- 
solved extract  was  treated  with  water  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
filtered,  and  the  filtrate  tested  for  alkaloids;  gave  a  grayish  precipitate 
with  potassio^mercuric  iodide,  and  a  bright  yellow  precipitate  with 
phosphomolybdic  acid ;  negative  results  for  glucosides.  The  residue 
was  washed  well  with  water  to  free  from  sulphuric  acid,  and  treated 
with  absolute  alcohol ;  the  solution  was  filtered,  treated  with  animal 
charcoal,  filtered  again  and  evaporated,  leaving  a  pale  yellowish  mass 
of  a  soft  and  tough  consistence.  It  has  an  acid  reaction,  is  soluble  in 
ether,  benzol,  volatile  oils,  partly  soluble  in  aqueous  alkalies,  soluble 
in  strong  sulphuric  acid  with  a  red  color,  and  has  a  peculiar  odor  and 
somewhat  acrid  taste. 
This  appears  to  be  a  resin  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  fixed  oil, 
as  the  portion  left  on  treatment  with  80  per  cent,  alcohol,  when  boiled 
with  potassa,  was  precipitated  by  chloride  of  sodium  as  a  soap.  The 
residue  of  the  benzol  extract  after  treatment  with  absolute  alcohol  con- 
sisted of  wax  with  a  small  amount  of  coloring  matter. 
The  drug  exhausted  with  benzol  was  dried  and  exhausted  with 
stronger  alcohol,  the  extract  which  weighed  5*801  grams  =  21*72  per 
cent,  was  treated  with  absolute  alcohol  and  the  soluble  portion  with 
distilled  water.  This  solution  had  an  acid  reaction,  and  gave  a  yellow 
precipitate  with  subacetate  of  lead,  which  after  decomposing  with 
hydrosulphuric  acid  yielded  a  filtrate  reducing  Fehling's  solution  on 
heating,  and  gave  a  green  color  with  ferric  chloride,  and  a  reddish 
brown  color  with  solution  of  potassa,  showing  the  presence  of  an  "  iron- 
greening"  tannin.  A  concentrated  solution  failed  to  give  precipitates 
with  solutions  of  gelatin  and  tartrate  of  antimony  and  potassium,  but 
gave  precipitates  with  cinchonine  and  quinine,  and  reduced  nitrate  of 
silver  in  the  specular  form  when  heated.  These  reactions  appear  to 
indieate  that  it  is  identical  with  or  closely  related  to  caffetannic  acid. 
The  filtrate  from  the  precipitate  by  subacetate  of  lead  was  freed  from 
lead  by  H2S  and  concentrated.  Phosphomolybdic  acid  and  potassio- 
mercuric  iodide  failed  to  produce  precipitates,  but  Fehling's  solution 
