94  Analysis  of  Ricinus  Communis.       {^^' Feh:^im^'''^' 
tions  to  this  use^  however,  would  be  the  dark  color  of  the  powder  and 
the  disagreeable  odor  of  the  plant. 
The  dried  plant,  including  the  roots,  is  used  for  fuel  (Ibid.,  1867,  p. 
59),  and  the  natives  of  upper  India  find  an  excellent  use  for  the  wood 
as  a  building  material  for  thatching  their  homesteads  of  mud  walls,  its 
chief  recommendation  being  its  immunity  from  attack  of  white  ants  • 
and  other  insects.  The  wood  makes  an  excellent  paper  pulp.  Bees 
infest  the  castor  plant  when  in  flow^er,  and  an  abundant  supply  of 
honey  may  be  obtained  from  a  castor  plantation. 
PROXIMATE  QUANTITATIVE  ANALYSIS. 
The  analysis  of  the  plant  was  made  in  the  new  chemical  laboratory 
of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
The  root,  stem  and  leaves  were  each  reduced  to  'No.  80  powder,  and 
treated  by  the  method  proposed  by  Dragendorfi^,  except  that  the  pow- 
der was  thoroughly  exhausted  by  successive  portions  of  the  different 
solvents,  as  well  as  other  modifications  suggested  by  Prof.  Trimble. 
Leaves. — Five  grams  of  the  powder  on  drying  at  110°  C.  to  con- 
stant weight,  showed  moisture  12*7  per  cent.,  and  the  same  portion  ig- 
nited left  11  "22  per  cent,  of  ash,  of  which  5*62  per  cent,  was  soluble 
in  water;  4*81  per  cent,  soluble  in  HCl,  and  0'79  per  cent,  insoluble 
in  both  liquids.  A  qualitative  examination  showed  the  presence  of  po- 
tassium, calcium,  magnesium,  and  traces  of  iron  and  manganese,  with 
carbonic,  phosphoric  and  sulphuric  acids. 
Fifty  grams  of  the  powder  were  extracted  with  petroleum  spirit 
which,  on  evaporation,  left  a  dark,  semi-fluid  residue  of  disagreeable 
odor,  amounting  to  4*58  percent,  which  on  heating  to  120°  C.  lost 
0'254  per  cent.,  was  deprived  of  smell,  and  was  considered  volatile  oil 
which  was  verified  by  distillation  from  another  portion  of  the  drug, 
separating  the  oil  from  the  distillate  by  agitating  wdth  petroleum 
spirit,  and  allowing  the  latter  to  evaporate,  when  a  small  portion  of  the 
oil  remained,  having  the  disagreeable  odor  of  the  freshly  bruised 
leaves. 
The  following  are  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  petroleum  extract: 
Semi-fluid  and  does  not  solidify  at  0°  C. ;  dark-green  in  color ;  specific 
gravity,  about  .9089;  permanent  grease  spot  on  paper;  partly  soluble 
in  H2  SO4  and  glacial  acetic  acid,  and  slightly  in  H  NO3 ;  chloroform, 
ether,  benzol  and  carbon  disulphide  dissolve  it  completely,  and  alco- 
hol 2-57  per  cent. 
