428 
Leaves  of  CeanotJms  Amcricanns.  {A 
The  alcohol  was  recovered  from  the  percolate  by  distillation,  and 
the  residue  treated  according  to  Dr.  Squibb's  method  for  the  esti- 
mation of  morphine.  Narcotine  was  found  in  the  ethereal  washings, 
and  the  amount  of  morphine  found  was  7-77  per  cent.  The  non- 
dialyzed  liquid  showed  a  considerable  quantity  of  morphine  and 
narcotine  by  qualitative  tests. 
It  can  be  seen  from  the  above  experiments  that  the  results  were 
not  very  satisfactory  for  Mr.  Herrera's  process,  at  least  for  assay- 
ing purposes,  when  it  is  taken  into  account  that  I  found  in  the  same 
opium  14-41  per  cent,  of  morphine,  following  Dr.  Squibb's  method 
for  determination  of  the  alkaloid. 
Since  it  is  a  new  process,  and  consequently  subject  to  improve- 
ments by  a  thorough  and  conscientious  study,  I  do  not  want  to 
condemn  it.  It  has,  no  doubt,  some  value  for  separating  alkaloids 
qualitatively,  for  example  in  toxicological  investigations,  since  it 
transfers  them  without  exposure  to  heat,  to  an  absorbent,  sulphate 
of  calcium,  from  which  they  may  be  readily  removed  without  fear 
of  decomposition. 
My  experiments  show  that  quantitatively  the  method  is  without 
value,  as  there  are  other  processes  more  accurate,  less  expensive 
and  more  rapidly  executed. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
The  plant  from  which  the  leaves  were  obtained  was  fully  described 
by  F.  C.  Gerlach,  Am.  Jour.  Pharmacy,  1 891,  p.  332,  in  his  paper  on 
the  analysis  of  the  root.  As  stated  there,  the  leaves  have  been  used 
as  a  substitute  for  tea,  and  the  following  analysis  was  undertaken 
with  a  view  of  seeing  how  nearly  they  resembled  the  tea  leaves  in 
chemical  composition. 
Five  grams  heated  in  an  air-bath  at  ioo°  to  no°  lost  -305  grams 
=  6-10  per  cent,  of  moisture.  Five  grams  after  ignition  weighed 
♦265  grams  =  5-30  per  cent,  of  ash.  Fifty  grams  in  fine  powder 
were  exhausted  by  petroleum  ether,  and  the  extract,  after  recover- 
ing the  solvent  by  distillation,  weighed  -889  grams  =  1-77  per  cent. 
This  consisted  of -038  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil,  -022  per  cent,  fat,  -51 
per  cent,  wax,  and  1-20  per  cent,  caoutchouc.    Stronger  ether  then 
THE  LEAVES  OF  CEANOTHUS  AMERICANUS. 
By  John  A.  Buckner,  Ph.G. 
No.  93. 
