Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  i 
Feb.,  1890.  J 
Eupatorium  Purpureum. 
75 
Per  Cent. 
Volatile  oil,  ........... 
Fat,  
Wax,  .  .  
Yellow  resin  dissolved  by  stronger  ether,  . 
Soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  ..... 
Mucilage,   .    .  . 
Dextrin, .  .  
Saccharose,  
Glucose,     .    .  -  
Albuminoids,   . 
Other  organic  matter  soluble  in  dilute  alkali 
Calcium  Oxalate,  
Incrusting  substances,  ........ 
Cellulose  and  lignin,  
Ash,  
Moisture,  .   
007 
o-53 
029 
0-25 
100-32 
A  small  quantity  of  organic  acid  found  in  the  aqueous 
extract  of  the  drug  proved  to  be  citric  acid.  The  author  con- 
cludes by  stating  that  the  rhizome  is  peculiar  for  the  large 
percentage  of  cellulose  contained  in  it,  and  for  the  small 
amount  of  material  extracted  by  the  usual  solvents,  and  that 
the  only  evidence  of  a  crystalline  principle  is  resin  capable  of 
assuming  a  granular  form,  but  which  in  no  way  responds  to 
the  tests  for  quercitrin  or  quercetin. 
Mr.  Ray's  conclusion  regarding  the  crystalline  principle 
would,  no  doubt,  have  been  different,  had  he  operated  on  a 
larger  quantity  of  the  drug,  which  would  have  allowed  him 
to  recrystallize  the  granular  resin  and  so  obtain  it  in  the  aci- 
cular  form.  The  amount  operated  on  was  50  grms.,  but  200 
or  300  grms.  were  afterward  exhausted  with  absolute  alcohol, 
but  additional  material,  which  in  the  original  analysis  was 
removed  by  ether  and  petroleum  ether,  being  present  pre- 
vented the  purification  of  what  was  still  a  small  quantity. 
While  hesitating  about  publishing  Mr.  Ray's  results,  I  was 
shown  some  crystalline  substance  by  Mr.  E.  G.  Eberhardt,  a 
student  of  this  college,  who,  while  recently  in  the  employ  of 
Eli  Lilly  &  Co.,  Indianapolis,  obtained  it  from  a  sediment  in 
a  fluid  extract  of  the  above-mentioned  drug. 
As  Prof.  Lloyd  is  the  discoverer  of  the  compound,  he  was 
communicated  with  and  immediately  forwarded  a  freshly  pre- 
