438      Grindelia  Eobusta  and  Grindelia  Squarrosa.  {^bSt^'iS^''"'" 
is  safe  to  say  that  none  exists  in  these  plants.  The  uniform  positive 
reactions  with  the  accepted  alkaloidal  reactions  are  difficult  to  explain, 
but  they  are  probably  caused  by  some  albuminous  matter  peculiar  to 
these  plants. 
The  substance  extracted  by  the  various  solvents  was  free  from  glucose 
until  after  boiling  with  dilute  acid,  showing  that  a  glucoside  had  beeed 
extracted. 
IV.    Treatment  with  Water. 
G.  robusta.  G.  squarrosa. 
Total  extract  12-16  per  cent.    12*88  per  cent. 
Containing  ash   2*80      "  2-51 
a.  Mucilage  and  carbohydrates  precipitated 
by  alcohol   2-17      "  1-93 
Yielding  ash   0'5        "  0'67 
h.  Glucose   1-26  r90 
Saccharose  was  not  present. 
(c)  Saponin. — From  the  foamy,  soapy-like  character  of  the  aqueous 
extract  on  agitation,  as  well  as  the  taste  of  the  resin  and  of  the  glu- 
coside extracted,  it  was  inferred  that  saponin  or  an  allied  body  was 
present.  A  quantitative  estimation  by  the  method  adopted  by  Chris- 
tophsohn  and  Otten,^  was  made  with  the  following  results  :  G.  robusta, 
2  per  cent. ;  G.  squarrosa,  0'82  per  cent,  saponin. 
As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  these  are  the  first  plants  of  the 
natural  order  compositse  in  which  a  saponin-like  body  has  been  found, 
and  is  therefore  unique.  It  does  not  give  the  color-reaction  of  true 
saponin  with  sulphuric  acid,  but  it  possesses  its  attributes  to  a  marked 
degree.  It  has  its  soapy  character ;  acrid  taste,  affecting  the  fauces ; 
is  precipitated  by  baryta  water ;  forms  crystals  with  alkaline  hydrates, 
and  has  a  flight  acid  reaction.  It  is  undoubtedly  this  that  gives 
the  acid  reaction  to  the  aqueous  solutions  of  the  various  extracts. 
It  was  thought  at  first  that  this  was  due  to  the  presence  of  organic 
acids  ;  but  on  adding  barium  carbonate  to  the  solution,  it  was  not 
neutralized,  even  on  boiling.  Calcium  carbonate  also  had  no  efPect. 
Colorless,  needle-shaped  crystals  of  this  saponin-like  body  were  ob- 
tained by  agitation  with  acetic  ether  (which  had  been  freshly  distilled 
over  lime)  evaporating,  treating  the  residue  with  chloroform  and 
evaporating  in  a  dessicator  over  sulphuric  acid.  The  principle 
in   the   two  plants    appears  to   be   identical,  and   the  name  of 
1  Dragendorff's  Plant  Analysis,  page  68. 
