434 
Fucus  Vesiculosus, 
(  Am.  Jour.  Phartn. 
t      Sept.,  1880. 
then  evaporated  spontaneously  to  a  thin  syrupy  consistence,  agitated  it 
with  a  mixture  of  stronger  alcohol  and  ether,  in  the  proportion  of 
one  part  of  alcohol  in  seven  of  ether,  to  remove  the  sugar  and  coloring 
matter,  and  after  allowing  it  to  stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  decanted  the 
ethereal  solution  carefully  into  a  beaker,  and  allowed  it  to  evaporate 
spontaneously,  when  granular-like  crystals  of Cornin  "  were  obtained 
of  a  dark  yellow  color. 
These  were  dissolved  in  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether,  and  recrys- 
tailized ;  treated  them  in  this  manner  successively  a  number  of  times, 
each  time  with  a  separate  portion  of  the  mixture,  and  on  finally  recrys- 
tallizing,  I  obtained  them  of  a  much  lighter  color,  but  still  having  that 
dark  yellow  cast.  Various  other  efforts  were  made,  but  unsuccessfully, 
to  obtain  them  in  a  pure  state ;  the  coloration  is  due  most  likely  to  a  great 
extent  to  the  presence  of  tannin,  of  which,  in  the  detannating  process, 
it  had  not  all  been  deprived  on  account  of  decomposition  of  the  aque- 
ous menstruum,  occasioned  by  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  and 
by  the  length  of  time  required  to  fully  accomplish  the  process. 
The  process  adopted  in  this  experiment  was  the  one  used,  or  rather 
the  most  practical  of  the  three  processes  followed,  by  Mr.  Frey,  of 
'''79,"  in  his  investigations  of  Cornus  Florida. 
FUCUS  VESICULOSUS. 
By  Frank  Frisby,  Ph.G. 
Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay, 
Fucus  vesiculosus  belongs  to  the  Cryptogamia  Algae  in  the  sexual 
system,  and  to  the  natural  order  Algaceae.  This  sea  weed  is  perennial, 
with  the  frond  or  leaf  flat,  smooth  and  glassy,  from  one  to  five  inches 
long  and  from  quarter  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  broad,  with  a  midrib 
throughout  its  length,  entire  upon  the  margin,  and  of  a  dark  olive- 
green  color  ;  small  spherical  vesicles,  filled  with  air,  are  immersed  in 
the  frond  near  the  midrib. 
The  plant  grows  upon  the  shores  of  Europe  and  of  this  continent, 
attaching  itself  to  the  rocks  by  its  expanded  woody  roots.  It  has  a 
peculiar  odor,  and  a  nauseous  saline  taste.  Much  that  is  offered  as 
Fucus  vesiculosus  is  quite  different.  Out  of  three  specimens  I  pro- 
cured only  one  was  the  true  Fucus  vesiculosus.  The  various  sea 
weeds  and  Fucus  nodosus  should  always  be  carefully  discriminated 
from  the  genuine  plant. 
