280  Elixir  of  Theine  Hydrobr ornate.  {-'^°'june?im'"'' 
ANALYSIS  OF  CASSIA  NICTITANS,  LINN£:. 
By  Charles  S.  Gallaher,  Ph.  G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
This  plant  is  known  as  wild  sensitive  plant,  and  grows  abundantly 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia  where  it  was  collected  for  analy- 
sis, then  dried  and  reduced  to  powder  No.  80.  The  air-dry  pow^der 
on  being  heated  to  between  100°  and  110°  C,  lost  3.7  per  cent,  of 
moisture,  and  yielded  4.8  per  cent,  of  ash. 
Petroleum  benzin  extracted  a  minute  quantity  of  volatile  oil,  and 
0.08  per  cent,  of  waxy  matter  melting  at  58°  C.  Ether  took  up  from 
the  powder  5.6  per  cent,  of  resinous  matter  and  chlorophyll,  tests  for 
glucosides  and  alkaloids  giving  negative  results.  The  alcoholic  ex- 
tract on  being  treated  with  water,  left  5.78  per  cent,  of  resinous  mat- 
ter undissolved  ;  the  aqueous  solution  yielded  nothing  to  petroleum 
spirit,  benzol  and  chloroform  ;  tested  with  gelatin  and  ferric  salt,  the 
presence  of  tannin  was  revealed  and  this  was  estimated  by  precipita- 
tion with  copper  acetate  and  ignition,  the  result  being  7.44  per  cent,  of 
tannin.  The  aqueous  extract  weighed  17.28  per  cent.;  this  was  found 
to  be  free  from  glucose,  but  contained  another  sugar,  dextrin,  and 
gum  •  cathartic  acid  could  not  be  prepared  from  it,  but  the  powder 
was  ascertained  to  have  a  laxative  effect  and  to  produce  griping.  Tests 
applied  for  starch  gave  negative  results ;  albumin,  pararabin,  calcium 
oxalate,  lignin  and  cellulose  were  present. 
A  larger  quantity  of  the  fresh  plant  was  distilled  with  water  in  the 
presence  of  lime,  but  no  volatile  alkaloid  was  obtained.  Another  por- 
tion distilled  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid  yielded  a  distillate  having 
merely  a  faint  acid  reaction. 
ELIXIR  OF  THEINE  HYDROBROMATE. 
By  Joseph  W.  England,  Ph.G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  May  15. 
As  a  remedy  in  the  treatment  of  certain  nervous  affections,  the 
alkaloid  theine  or  caffeine,  seems  to  be  rapidly  growing  in  medical 
favor  and  use. 
Although  as  early  as  1838,  Mulder  and  Jobst  found  that  theine 
and  caffeine  were  chemically  identical,  it  is  yet  a  mooted  question, 
but  the  burden  of  evidence  seems  greatest  in  favor  of  that  assumption. 
