Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1891. 
Ceanothus. 
333 
Indians  in  gonorrhoea  and  cancer,  and  given  internally  in  syphilis. 
A  decoction  of  the  leaves  and  seeds  has  been  used  in  ulceration  of 
the  mouth  and  throat,  and  internally  in  dysentery.  All  of  these 
properties  are  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  tannin. 
The  following  are  the  results  of  a  proximate  analysis.  The 
moisture  by  drying  to  constant  weight  at  110°  C.  was  found  to  be 
10  08  per  cent.,  and  the  ash  obtained  by  careful  ignition  amounted 
to  8  44  per  cent.,  no  unusual  constituents  were  found  in  the  latter. 
Soluble  in  water,    9*48  per  cent. 
Soluble  in  hydrochloric  acid,  53 '32  " 
Insoluble,  37 '20  " 
ioo-oo  " 
Petroleum  ether  extracted  from  the  finely-powdered  drug,  0-20 
per  cent.  The  extract  was  of  a  dark  green  color,  of  a  slightly 
aromatic  odor  and  consisted  of  fixed  oil,  which  was  semi-solid  at 
ordinary  temperatures,  vegetable  wax  and  a  trace  of  volatile  oil. 
The  residual  drug  yielded  i-oi  per  cent,  to  stronger  ether,  con- 
sisting entirely  of  resin. 
Absolute  alcohol  extracted  from  the  remaining  drug,  6-02  per 
cent.,  consisting  of  tannin,  which  was  determined  in  another  portion, 
of  gallic  acid  0  20  per  cent.,  glucose  i-8o  per  cent.,  red  coloring 
matter  roo  per  cent.,  for  which  the  name  ceanothus  red  is  suggested. 
The  total  alcoholic  extract  was  dissolved  in  a  small  quantity  of 
alcohol,  poured  into  acidulated  water,  filtered  and  the  filtrate 
agitated  successively  with  petroleum  ether,  ether  and  chloroform, 
none  of  which  extracted  anything.  The  liquid  after  removal  of  all 
chloroform  was  rendered  alkaline  and  again  agitated  with  the  above 
solvents ;  of  these  stronger  ether  extracted  o-2  to  0-3  per  cent,  of  a 
substance  which  gave  characteristic  tests  with  several  alkaloidal 
reagents.    This  substance  will  be  considered  later. 
Water  extracted  from  the  remaining  drug  7-52  per  cent.,  consist- 
ing of  mucilage  5-00  per  cent.,  glucose  1-95  per  cent.,  saccharose 
0-35  per  cent,  and  tannin  o-2i  per  cent. 
After  treatment  with  water,  4-00  per  cent,  were  extracted  by 
dilute  sodium  hydrate  solution,  which  consisted  almost  entirely  of 
albuminoids. 
Dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  extracted  2-40  per  cent.,  consisting  of 
calcium  oxalate,  0-52  per  cent.,  and  1-87  per  cent,  of  starch,  obtained 
by  a  special  estimation. 
