122 
Phar macognostical  Notes. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March.  1890. 
Edward  S.  Smythe  obtained  the  odorous  principle  of  GnapJialiu?n 
polycephalum  (life  everlasting)  by  distilling  the  drug  with  water. 
This  substance  of  semi-solid  consistence  was  diffused  through  the 
aqueous  distillate  from  which  it  was  removed  by  agitation  with 
ether.  It  was  of  a  light  green  color  and  possessed  the  peculiar  odor 
of  the  drug  to  a  considerable  degree.  The  drug  was  found  to  con- 
tain 7-9  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  5-7  per  cent,  of  ash.  Extraction 
with  the  usual  solvents  failed  to  yield  any  unusual  plant  con- 
stituents. 
Charles  B.  McKeel  extracted  a  quantity  of  the  fixed  oil  from  sun- 
flower fruit.  This  oil  when  pure  is  almost  free  from  odor  and  is  said 
to  be  used  for  culinary  purposes. 
The  oil  was  found  to  exist  in  the  fruit  to  the  extent  of  27-06  per 
cent.,  and  was  obtained  by  extraction  with  petroleum  ether.  On 
the  large  scale  a  gallon  of  oil  is  obtained  from  a  bushel  of  the  seeds. 
As  ordinarily  extracted  the  oil  has  a  light  yellow  color  and  a 
slight  nut-like  odor  and  taste.  It  is  soluble  in  ether  and  chloro- 
form, but  insoluble  in  alcohol,  and  is  easily  saponified  but  is  non- 
drying  in  exposure  to  air. 
PHARMACOGNOSTICAL  NOTES. 
Abstracts  from  Theses. 
Croton  Oil — Wm.  C.  Zinnel,  Ph.G.,  determined  the  amount  of  oil 
present  in  commercial  croton  seeds.  The  seeds  were  beaten  to  a 
paste,  exhausted  by  successive  portions  of  the  solvent,  and  the 
latter  then  evaporated  or  distilled.  Using  for  each  experiment  100 
gm.  of  seed,  the  amount  of  oil  obtained  was  as  follows  :  with  benzin, 
33-321  gm. ;  with  chloroform,  22-9  gm.,  and  with  carbon  disulphide, 
33'7  gm-  The  two  last  oils  were  darker  in  color  and  more  viscous 
than  the  first ;  that  obtained  by  benzin  was  pale  straw-yellow  and 
had  the  spec.  grav.  -943.  The  cause  of  the  small  yield  with  chloro- 
form was  not  ascertained.  The  seeds  (100  gm.),  deprived  of  the 
testa,  which  constituted  29-67  per  cent,  of  the  entire  weight,  gave 
with  benzin  21-8  gm.  of  oil;  no  cause  is  assigned  for  the  deficiency 
as  compared  with  previous  experiments.  The  testa  yielded  1-65 
per  cent,  of  oil. 
Burdock  Fruit. — Thos.  Donaldson,  Ph.G.,  found  the  fruit  to  con- 
tain 7-25  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  to  yield  6*66  per  cent,  of  ash. 
