43Q 
Root  of  CeanotJms  Americamis. 
Am.  Jour.  Phariru 
Sept.,lS91. 
Fifty  grams  of  the  drug  were  macerated  for  two  days  in  water 
containing  one  per  cent,  of  sulphuric  acid.  The  liquid  filtered  off, 
evaporated  somewhat,  and  agitated  with  ether.  The  ethereal  solu- 
tion was  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  and  yielded  a  mass  of 
needle-shaped  crystals,  which  proved  to  be  gallic  acid.  The  liquid 
was  then  rendered  alkaline  with  sodium  hydrate  and  again  agitated 
with  ether,  which  was  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  and  the 
residue  tested  for  alkaloids,  with  negative  results.  The  formation  of 
the  gallic  acid  indicates  that  the  tannin  of  ceanothus  leaves  readily 
yields  gallic  acid. 
PROXIMATE  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  ROOT  OF 
CEANOTHUS  AMERICAN  US. 
By  John  E.  Hitchcock,  Ph.C. 
The  root  is  astringent  and  imparts  a  red  color  to  water  and  to 
alcohol. 
The  scheme  followed  is  Dragendorff's  as  outlined  in  "  Prescott's 
Organic  Analysis,"  1889,  P-  423-  The  root  to  be  examined  was 
reduced  to  a  No.  60  powder  and  all  particles  of  iron  removed  with  a 
magnet. 
I.  Two  grams  were  dried  rapidly  until  they  ceased  to  lose  weight, 
at  1  io°  C. — the  difference  in  weight  indicating  a  loss  by  moisture  of 
8-285  per  cent. 
II.  Two  grams  were  now  taken  and  ignited  in  a  platinum  crucible  ; 
the  weight  of  the  residue  indicated  276  per  cent,  as  total  ash. 
In  the  water  solution  of  this  ash  was  found  potassium  sulphate, 
potassium  chloride,  and  traces  of  sodium  and  magnesium;  the 
dilute  hydrochloric  acid  solution  showed  calcium  and  magnesium 
phosphates  and  carbonates,  the  residue,  insoluble  in  water  and  acid 
being  silica. 
III.  Ten  grams  of  the  powder  were  placed  in  a  flask,  macerated 
with  100  cc.  of  petroleum  benzin  for  eight  days,  and  the  solution 
rapidly  evaporated  in  a  dry  current  of  air,  the  residue  making  a 
total  benzin  extract  of  -92  per  cent.  Water  was  now  added  to  the 
dry  extract,  and  this  again  dried  in  an  air  bath  at  no°  C.  in  order 
to  drive  off  all  traces  of  volatile  oil  or  other  vaporizable  matter,  the 
difference  in  weight  indicating  -14  per  cent,  as  volatile  oil  in  the 
benzin  extract.    This  oil  has  a  strong  peculiar  aromatic  odor,  a 
