198  Ash  and  Soluble  Matter  in  Buchu.  {^ffiSg* 
THE  AMOUNT  OF  ASH  AND  SOLUBLE  MATTER  IN 
THE  THREE  SORTS  OF  BUCHU, 
By  Henry  Williams  Jones,  F.C.S. 
The  following  results  were  obtained  during  an  examination  of  a 
number  of  samples  of  buchu  intended  for  commercial  purposes,  and,  in 
the  absence  of  any  exact  information  respecting  the  composition  of  the 
three  sorts,  yielded,  respectively,  by  Barosma  betulina,  Bartling,  B.cren- 
ulata,  Hooker,  and  B.  serratifolia,  Willd.,  it  is  thought  such  results,, 
though  necessarily  imperfect  so  far  as  showing  the  actual  composition 
of  the  species  is  concerned,  might  prove  interesting. 
It  has  been  previously  shown  by  Mr.  P.  W.  Bedford1  that  of  the 
three  species  the  short-leaved  yield  on  an  average  1*21  per  cent,  of 
volatile  oil,  whilst  the  long-leaved,  B.  serratifolia,  gives  only  *66  per 
cent. 
The  drug  was  successively  treated  by  dry  ether,  alcohol  and  water 
until  exhausted.  The  resulting  solutions  were  evaporated  to  dryness 
on  the  water-bath,  and  the  extracts  so  obtained  dried  in  an  air-bath  at 
240°F.  until  they  ceased  to  lose  weight. 
The  ether  extract  when  so  dried  was  quite  free  from  the  character- 
istic smell  of  buchu,  and  therefore  contained  no  essential  oil,  and  rep- 
resented the  chlorophyll,  fixed  oily  matter,  and  such  other  substances- 
soluble  in  ether. 
In  the  case  of  the  aqueous  extract  the  amount  of  mineral  matter 
present  was  deducted. 
Ash  and  Soluble  Matter  in  the  Three  Kinds  of  Buchu. 
( Three  different  samples  of  each  species.) 
Percentage  Results. 
Ash.         Soluble  in  ether.  Soluble  in  alcohol.  Soluble  in  water. £ 
Barosma  betulina, 
4  69 
4*62 
I  2'  I  I 
13-91 
<«  « 
4"47 
4-29 
1396 
14-25 
««  << 
4-40 
3-8S 
8-79 
17-91 
Barosma  crenulata, 
4*3^ 
5"7o 
1 1*26 
1399 
it  a 
4*01 
586 
'573 
2072 
it  ti 
5-39 
4-01 
IO'IO 
1775 
Barosma  serratifolia, 
5  03 
478 
11-57 
17-92 
«  << 
5*55 
4-31 
9  87 
17-05 
<t  n 
5'22 
3-91 
771 
2238 
The  ash  was  remarkable  for  containing  a  large  amount  of  manga- 
nese, and  the  aqueous  extract  for  a  large  quantity  of  mucilaginous 
1  "  Proceed.  Amer.  Pharm.  Assoc.,"  1863,  p.  211. 
2The  mucilage  is  diffusible  rather  than  soluble. 
