AmM^ch  fM*™'}  Ash  Content  of  Some  Unofficial  Drugs.  113 
reported  (see  19x4  Proceed.  Minn.  State  Pharm.  Assoc.,  pp.  148-158, 
and  Northwestern  Druggist,  vol.  15,  No.  J,  1914). 
Source  of  sample 
Per  cent. 
Per  cent. 
Per  cent. 
191 1  and  1912  crop : 
of  ash 
of  ash 
of  ash 
  7-i 
7.2 
  679 
6.6l 
I3-I 
Digitalis  purpurea  monstrosa   
  9-i 
9-5 
  114 
1 1.6 
.....  10.5 
10.8 
  10.5 
10.3 
10.8 
Digitalis  purpurea,  collected  in  the  State  of  Wash- 
ington from  wild  growing  plants  
  144 
1439 
14.27 
1913  crop  University  of  Minnesota : 
Digitalis  purpurea,  mixed  varieties   
  10.00 
10.42 
1914  crop  University  of  Minnesota : 
  8.57 
8.46 
Commercial  samples  : 
  12.5 
12.8 
B.  Clean    commercial    sample    from  cultivated 
  9-7 
10.5 
C.  Average  quality  commercial  sample   .  .  . 
  7-5 
74 
D.  Average  quality  commercial  sample   .  .  . 
  9.19 
9.27 
The  commercial  samples  examined 
represented  fairly  £ 
rood  dig- 
italis,  no  adulterants  being  found  upon  microscopic  examination. 
From  these  results  it  would  appear  that  a  pharmacopceial  stan- 
dard for  digitalis  reading  "  Ash  not  exceeding  10  per  cent."  would 
exclude  some  samples  which  without  doubt  are  authentic  and  of 
good  quality. 
Department  of  Pharmacognosy,  College  of  Pharmacy, 
University  of  Minnesota. 
ASH  CONTENT  OF  SOME  UNOFFICIAL  DRUGS.1 
By  Edwin  L.  Newcomb. 
Aralia  racemosa  :  Ash,  per  cent. 
Commercial  sample  of  average  cleanliness   7.88  7.60 
Asarum : 
Clean  commercial  sample   9.23  9.22 
Baptisia : 
Commercial  sample  of  average  cleanliness  (ash  pinkish 
white  in  color)    2.293  2.288 
1  Presented  at  the  Thirty-first  Annual  Convention  of  Minnesota  State 
Pharmaceutical  Association,  St.  Paul,  February  10,  191 5. 
