49Q 
Rhizome  of  Aralia  Califomica. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I     October,  1898. 
per  cent,  of  saccharose  ;  smaller  quantities  of  mucilage  were  also 
present.  The  aqueous -solution  contained  a  substance  which  reduced 
gold  and  silver  salts,  and  precipitated  calcium  hydrate ;  this  sub- 
stance was  very  probably  oxalic  acid,  the  occurrence  of  considerable 
quantities  of  which,  as  calcium  oxalate,  is  hereafter  noted.  Tannins 
were  absent.    The  aqueous  solution  afforded  heavy  brownish  pre- 
FiG.  i. — Rhizome  with  roots  and  part  of  overground  stem  of  Aralia 
Califomica. 
cipitates  with  phosphotungstic  acid,  potassium  triiodide,  and  mer- 
curic potassium  iodide  test  solution,  but  the  substance  causing 
these  reactions,  could  not  be  removed  by  agitating  the  aqueous  solu- 
tion, either  acidulated  or  made  alkaline,  with  benzin,  ether,  or  chloro- 
form ;  hence  they  were  not  alkaloids.  The  substance  which  precipi- 
