324 
A  Species  of  Commelina. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1898. 
Following  this  preliminary  examination,  a  proximate  analysis  of 
the  ground  plant  was  made  according  to  DragendorfF's  scheme, 
with  the  results  hereinafter  stated. 
^Petroleum  ether  removed  1-56  per  cent,  of  extractive  matter  con- 
sisting of  0-13  per  cent,  of  caoutchouc,  0-48  per  cent,  of  wax  and  0-95 
per  cent,  of  fat. 
Ether,  U.S.P.,  1890,  extracted  1-24  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the 
ground  plant;  14-54  per  cent,  of  this  extract  was  soluble  in  water. 
Fig.  2. 
The  aqueous  solution  had  an  acid  reaction  toward  litmus  paper ;  it 
reacted  as  follows : 
Calcium  hydrate  produced  a  copious,  reddish,  flocculent  precipi- 
tate. 
Both  normal  and  basic  lead  acetate  gave  precipitates  of  the  same 
kind  as  caused  by  calcium  hydrate. 
Ammoniacal  silver  nitrate  solution  was  reduced  on  the  applica- 
tion of  heat.  Gold  chloride  solution  was  also  reduced  when  heat 
was  applied. 
Fehling's  solution  was  reduced  by  the  plain  filtrate  upon  warm- 
