190       Rhizome  and  Rootlets  of  Plant  ago  Major.  {AmAp°riir;i898arm- 
It  was  assumed  that  the  two  parts  lost  the  same  amount  of  water 
upon  drying,  and  they  were  subsequently  mixed  in  the  given  propor- 
tions for  the  analysis.  This  was  conducted  according  to  Dragen- 
dorflPs  method. 
Petroleum  ether  dissolved  -57  per  cent,  of  the  material.  The 
extract  was  of  waxy  consistence  and  had  a  greenish- yellow  color. 
It  was  solid  at  ordinary  temperatures,  but  melted  on  the  boiling 
water-bath.  The  extract  consisted  of  caoutchouc,  wax  and  fatty 
matter.  The  extract  was  treated  with  hot  alcohol,  the  clean  solu- 
tion filtered  off  and  allowed  to  evaporate.  In  about  a  week's  time, 
when  the  alcohol  had  evaporated,  stellate  groups  of  crystals  were 
noticed  in  the  semi-solid  residue  of  fatty  matter.  The  writer  hopes 
to  be  able  to  further  investigate  these  crystals  in  the  future. 
Ether  extracted  -41  per  cent,  of  the  rhizome  and  rootlets.  The 
extract  was  of  a  dark  amber  color,  and  it  only  partly  melted  when 
placed  on  the  water-bath.  Warm  water  applied  to  the  extract  was 
found  to  have  acquired  a  faint  acid  reaction.  The  water  solution 
contained  small  quantities  of  glucose  and  a  substance  behaving  like 
protocatechuic  acid.  Negative  results  were  obtained  for  alkaloids 
and  glucosides.  That  part  of  the  extract  insoluble  in  water  was 
chiefly  wax.  This  wax  was  insoluble  in  aqueous  potassium  hydrate 
solution,  but  soluble  in  alcoholic  potassium  hydrate  solution. 
Absolute  alcohol  was  the  next  solvent  applied.  It  removed  8-6o 
per  cent,  of  red- brown  extract.  As  the  alcohol  was  being  recovered 
from  the  extract  a  precipitate  formed.  This  would  not  re-dissolve 
in  the  supernatant  liquid  or  in  absolute  alcohol.  But  water  com- 
pletely dissolved  the  precipitate  with  the  production  of  a  "  purple 
of  Cassius  "  color.  Hydrochloric  acid  produced  no  precipitate  in 
this  solution,  but  it  caused  the  color  to  become  paler.  Ferric  chlo- 
ride imparted  an  olive-green  color  to  the  solution,  but  gave  no  pre- 
cipitate. Sodium  carbonate  added  to  the  last  test  produced  a  red 
color.  These  reactions  probably  indicate  a  phlobaphene  or  traces  of 
protocatechuic  acid.  A  fresh  portion  of  the  solution  gave  a  yellow- 
ish precipitate  with  lead  acetate.  Glucose  was  found  to  the  extent 
of  r6i  per  cent.,  and,  after  boiling  the  solution  with  sulphuric  acid, 
•87  per  cent,  of  saccharose  was  found. 
Water  was  put  upon  the  residue  from  the  treatment  with  absolute 
alcohol,  but  unfortunately  the  material  underwent  fermentation. 
For  this  reason  the  remainder  of  the  analysis  cannot  be  looked  upon 
