Am  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1898. 
A  Species  of  Commelina. 
329 
per  cent,  of  glucose  was  also  found.  Saccharose  was  not  found. 
The  precipitate  caused  by  the  addition  of  lead  acetate  to  the  solu- 
tion of  the  water  extract,  in  the  examination  for  sugars,  was  sus- 
pended in  water  and  decomposed  with  hydrogen  sulphide.  The 
lead  sulphide  was  filtered  off,  and,  after  expelling  the  hydrogen  sul- 
phide by  boiling,  the  filtrate  was  tested  with  ammoniacal  silver 
nitrate  solution  and  gold  chloride  solution,  both  of  which  were 
reduced. 
Fig.  6. 
The  plant  was  next  treated  with  a  weak  solution  of  sodium 
hydrate,  in  water,  but  an  accidental  loss  of  some  of  the  liquid  ex- 
tract prevented  an  estimation  of  the  dissolved  substances.  Neither 
mucilage  nor  albuminous  matter  was  found  in  this  extract. 
Cold  water  moderately  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  extracted 
13-30  per  cent,  of  organic  solids  from  the  plant.  The  dissolved 
organic  matter  was  not  precipitated  by  making  the  solution  alkaline 
with  ammonium  hydrate,  or  even  upon  the  further  addition  of  seve- 
ral volumes  of  alcohol;  0-14  per  cent,  of  phosphates  were  precipi- 
