74 
Eupatorium  Purpureum. 
(Am.  Jour.  Fharm. 
\       Feb.,  1890. 
are  the  parts  used  medicinally,  and  therefore  have  been  the 
parts  examined. 
No  description  of  the  drug  appearing  in  print,  it  is  thought 
advisable  by  the  writer  that  such  should  be  given. 
The  plant  is  found  growing  abundantly  in  low  places,  and 
attains  a  height  of  from  three  to  twelve  feet  and  even  more. 
The  rhizome  is  horizontal,  one  to  four  inches  long,  one-half  to 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  with  many  thin, 
rather  tough  rootlets.  It  is  brownish-black  externally,  yel- 
lowish internally,  and  breaks  with  difficulty.  The  medulla  is 
darker  than  the  other  portions,  the  odor  slight  but  peculiar, 
taste  bitter,  bark  thin  and  the  word  wedges  about  twenty-six 
in  number,  but  not  as  wide  as  the  medullary  rays.  The  root- 
lets are  lighter  in  color,  four  to  eight  inches  long,  with  a 
thick,  easily  removable  bark,  inclosing  a  tough  central  cord. 
The  drug  in  very  fine  powder  yielded  to  petroleum  ether 
0*89  per  cent.,  consisting  of  volatile  oil  0*07  per  cent.,  fat 
melting  at  6o°  to  63 0  C,  0-53  per  cent.,  and  wax  melting  at 
ioo°  C,  0*29  per  cent. 
Stronger  ether  extracted  only  0-25  per  cent,  from  the  residual 
drug,  this  was  insoluble  in  water,  but  consisted  of  a  yellow 
resin-like  uncrystalline  substance,  which  gave  negative  results 
with  tests  applied  for  quercitrin  and  quercetin.  The  melting 
point  of  this  ethereal  extract  was  720  C. 
From  the  remainder  of  the  drug  absolute  alcohol  extracted 
no  per  cent.,  most  of  which  was  soluble  in  water.  Both  the 
soluble  and  insoluble  portion  failed  to  respond  to  any  tests 
for  quercitrin  or  quercetin.  Glucosides,  alkaloids,  gallic  and 
tannic  acids  were  shown  to  be  absent.  The  portion  insoluble 
in  water  somewhat  resembled  the  ethereal  extract,  although  it 
required  a  temperature  of  about  ioo°  C.  to  melt  it.  Alcoholic 
solution  of  lead  acetate  failed  to  produce  any  reaction  in  an 
alcoholic  solution  of  this  portion  not  dissolved  by  water,  or  in 
that  of  the  ethereal  extract.  The  remainder  of  the  analysis 
is  best  quoted  by  giving  the  following  summary : 
