334 
Ceanothus. 
Am.  Jour.  Pbarrn, 
July,  1891. 
Chlorine  water  extracted  20:30  per  cent,  of  lignin  ;  potassium 
chlorate  and  nitric  acid  extracted  5-96  per  cent,  of  intercellular  mat- 
ter, and  there  remained  29-88  per  cent,  of  cellulose. 
SPECIAL  ESTIMATION  OF  TANNIN. 
Ten  grams  of  the  drug  were  exhausted  with  hot  water,  and  the 
resulting  infusion  precipitated  with  gelatin  and  alum.  The  precipi- 
tate was  washed,  dried,  weighed,  and  54  per  cent,  calculated  as 
tannin,  which  indicated  it  to  be  present  in  the  drug  to  the  extent  of 
6-48  per  cent.  This  tannin  belonged  to  that  class  which  precipi- 
tates iron  salts  green. 
SPECIAL  EXTRACTION  OF  ALKALOID. 
After  trying  several  processes,  seven  kilos  of  the  drug  were 
exhausted  with  water  acidulated  with  acetic  acid.  One-half  of  the 
percolate  was  evaporated  to  small  bulk?  rendered  alkaline,  and  agi- 
tated with  a  mixture  composed  of  six  parts  of  ether  and  one  part  of 
•chloroform.  This  mixture  was  found  to  most  readily  extract  the 
alkaloid.  On  evaporating  the  ether-chloroform  0-37  per  cent,  of 
•  residue  was  obtained  in  white  masses. 
In  the  other  portion  of  the  percolate  the  agitation  was  made 
without  evaporation,  and  the  yield  of  alkaloid  was  0  52  per  cent. 
For  this  alkaloid  the  name  Ceanothine  is  suggested.  It  was  readily 
soluble  in  chloroform,  separating,  on  evaporation,  in  granular  crys- 
tals, fusing  at  about  1900  C.  It  was  less  soluble  in  ether,  alcohol 
and  carbon  disulphide.  The  taste  was  a  distinct  bitter.  Ceanothine' 
resembles  caffeine,  in  not  forming  salts,  as  in  an  acidulated  solution, 
evaporated  in  a  vacuum  over  sulphuric  acid,  the  acid  separated  from 
the  alkaloid  leaving  the  latter  in  transparent'  scales,  and,  after  long 
contact,  turning  red.  It  al§o  differed  from  caffeine  in  being  precipi- 
tated by  Mayer's  reagent.  This  alkaloid,  when  heated  with  soda- 
lime,  readily  liberated  ammonia.  When  heated  on  platinum  foil  it 
burned  without  residue.  It  reduced  metallic  gold  from  solution  of 
gold  chloride,  and  gave  characteristic  white  precipitates  with  Mayer's 
reagent,  platinic  chloride,  phosphomolybdic  acid  and  tannin,  also  red 
precipitates  with  potassium  tri-iodide,  cadmium  iodide  and  bismuth 
iodide.  When  applied  to  the  dry  substance,  concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  gave  a  reddish-brown  color,  nitric  acid  a  yellow,  and  Frbhde's 
reagent  a  blue. 
