332 
A  Species  of  Co  mine  Una. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1898. 
presence  of  a  substance  allied  to  the  glucosides.  That  it  is  not 
saccharose  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  this  and  similar  sugars  were 
not  found  in  the  plant,  inasmuch  as  that  the  substance  is  removed  from 
its  aqueous  solution  by  benzin  and  ether.  That  it  is  precipitated  by 
lead  acetate  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  an  aqueous  solution  which 
has  been  precipitated  with  that  reagent  and  filtered  does  not  develop 
an  increased  action  on  Fehling's  solution  by  being  boiled  with  acid. 
That  it  is  not  the  substance  which  causes  the  reduction  of  gold  and 
silver  salts,  nor  the  reactions  with  the  alkaloidal  reagents,  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  the  substances  which  affected  Fehling's  solution  did 
not  always  influence  the  other  reagents. 
It  has  not  been  shown  by  the  analytical  data  whether  the  sub- 
Fig.  8. 
stance  which  reduces  the  gold  and  silver  salts  and  that  which  reacts 
somewhat  like  an  alkaloid  are  identical  or  distinct. 
And,  finally,  to  what  the  plant  owes  its  reputed  medicinal  effect 
is  still  an  open  question. 
BOTANICAL  EXAMINATION. 
The  systematic  part  of  the  work,  in  the  identification  of  the  species 
common  in  the  locality  where  the  specimens  under  examination 
were  obtained,  requires  still  some  investigation.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  the  specimen  was  not  C.  virginica.  The  latter  possesses 
slightly  tuberous  roots,  long  grass-like  leaves,  and  seeds  perfectly 
smooth,  while  the  specimen  examined  in  the  chemical  and  micro- 
