Am-]v{^'If7h9arm-}  Apocynum  Cannabinum.  235 
stance  separates,  and  is  deposited  upon  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and 
that  portion  exposed  to  light  as  the  bottle  ordinarily  stands  upon  the 
shelf.  This  peculiar  appearing  substance  attracted  my  attention  a  few 
years  ago,  and  thus  led  to  a  more  careful  investigation,  and  the  phe- 
nomena accompanying  its  formation  in  a  series  of  experiments  upon 
Apocynum  cannabinum  carried  on  during  the  preceding  six  months 
(Oct.,  1878,  inclusive,  to  April,  1879). 
The  precipitate  formed  fastest  during  cold  weather,  and  I  obtained 
the  substance  in  considerable  amount.  It  appears  in  little  aggregations 
which  increase  regularly,  each  radiating  from  a  central  point,  appearing 
like  aggregations  of  minute  crystals  until  close  examination  shows  them 
to  be  destitute  of  any  crystalline  form.  I  can  compare  them  to  the 
warty  aggregations  which  deposit  from  tinctures  of  other  plants,  appar- 
ently systematically  formed,  and  yet  devoid  of  mathematical  structure. 
Tincture  of  the  fungus  white  agaric  (made  with  alcohol)  is  particularly 
prone  to  deposit  a  yellow  resinous  sediment,  of  formation  like  that  from 
Apocynum  cannabinum,  depositing  itself  upon  the  part  of  the  bottle 
ordinarily  exposed  to  light,  and  upon  the  bottom. 
Upon  close  examination,  interspersed  throughout  the  afore-mentioned 
white  substance,  I  found  numbers  of  transparent  crystals,  some  obtained 
from  a  10-gallon  keg  being  quite  large.  These  belonged  undoubtedly 
to  the  monoclinic  system,  and  were  simple  crystals  (OP, 00  P,oo  P  00). 1 
When  purified  from  adhering  impurities  they  dissolve  freely  in  water,, 
are  insoluble  in  chloroform  and  ether,  almost  insoluble  in  cold  alcohol 
and  slightly  in  hot  ;  cold  sulphuric  acid  chars  them  upon  standing  and 
is  colored  dark  red.  Fehling's  solution  retains  its  blue  color  when 
boiled  with  a  crystal,  and  there  is  no  red  precipitate.  They  are  very 
sweet,  and  the  foregoing,  in  connection  with  crystalline  form  and  other 
tests,  convince  me  they  are  cane  sugar. 
The  associated  white  precipitate  dissolves  freely  in  chloroform,  there- 
fore to  purify  it  from  sugar  and  foreign  matters  the  dried  precipitate  was 
the  diggers  to  bring  specimens  of  the  herb,  and  in  all  instances  A  can.  was  fur- 
nished. My  brother  was  compelled  to  supply  his  herbarium  with  A.  androsaemi- 
folium  from  abroad.  Recently,  by  request,  I  sent  Mr.  Chas.  Mohr,  of  Mobile, 
Ala.,  some  specimens,  and  selected  them  promiscuously  from  2,000  pounds  in  our 
ware-rooms.  Mr.  Mohr  afterward  wrote  that  undoubtedly  they  were  A.  cannabinum. 
^gleston's  Diagrams,  plate  xxxii,  fig.  11,  and  Roscoe  and  Schorlemmer  "Trea- 
tise on  Chemistry,"  vol.  i,  p.  736,  fig.  333. 
