134  Leaves  of  Liatris  Odoratissima.  {^J^SSf"0, 
The  odorous  principle  is  present  in  considerable  quantity,  and  is 
frequently  noticeable  in  crystals  upon  the  surface  of  the  leaves. 
The  leaves  are  said  to  be  very  largely  employed  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  United  States  to  flavor  tobacco,  and  to  preserve  wearing 
apparel  from  moths.  Their  agreeable  and  persistent  odor  renders 
deer's-tongue  leaves  also  serviceable  in  the  preparation  of  sachet 
powder  and  other  articles  of  perfumery,  as  suggested  by  Dr.  A.  W. 
Miller  in  this  Journal,  1875,  page  116. 
The  parts  of  the  plant  seem  to  have  never  been  systematically 
analyzed.  For  the  purposes  of  this  study  of  the  proximate  compo- 
sition of  the  leaves,  a  portion  of  the  finely-ground  material  was  ex- 
hausted with  solvents  in  the  succession  in  which  their  extracts  are 
hereinafter  described.  The  percentages  given  are  based  on  the  air- 
dried,  powdered  leaves. 
Petroleum  Ether  Extract. — This  extract,  as  obtained  by  sponta- 
neous evaporation  of  the  solvent  at  the  room  temperature  and  sub- 
sequent drying  over  sulphuric  acid,  amounted  to  3-25  per  cent,  of  the 
leaves.  It  exhibited  a  distinctly,  crystalline  principle.  When  dried  to 
a  constant  weight  at  1  io°,  the  extract  lost  weight  to  the  extent  of  0-3 
per  cent,  of  the  leaves.  There  appeared  to  be  a  loss  of  crystalline 
principle  during  this  treatment.  The  extract  consisted  of  fatty  sub- 
stances soluble  in  hot  absolute  alcohol,  and  a  wax  which  was  also 
soluble  in  hot  absolute  alcohol,  but  redeposited  on  cooling.  This 
wax  was  also  soluble  in  chloroform  and  carbon  disulphide,  but 
insoluble  in  glacial  acetic  acid  and  cold  alcohol.  The  crystalline 
principle  previously  referred  to  remained  dissolved  in  the  alcohol 
upon  the  cooling  of  the  solution  from  which  the  wax  deposited.  It 
was  afterwards  separated  from  the  accompanying  fats  by  recrystal- 
lization  from  cold  alcohol.  This  principle  proved  to  be  coumann 
and  will  be  subsequently  treated  of  in  this  paper. 
Ether  Extract. — The  leaves  were  next  treated  with  official  ether, 
which  extracted  4-26  per  cent,  of  their  weight  of  a  brownish-black, 
amorphous  mass.  This  extract  was  treated  with  hot  water,  which 
dissolved  very  little  substance,  but  acquired  an  acid  reaction. 
The  aqueous  solution  so  obtained  gave  reactions  as  follows  : 
Ferric  chloride,  greenish  color. 
Lead  acetate,  no  visible  change.  . 
Fehling's  solution  suffered  no  reduction. 
Fehling's  solution  suffered  no  reduction  after  the  aqueous  solution 
had  been  boiled  with  acid. 
