Abstract: This work was undertaken with the aim to find a rapid,method for the determination of santonin in the plant Artemisia. Pure santonin was studied in different buffers.It was found that below pH 3.5,only one wave was obtained,corresponding to an l-electron reversible reduction,its half-wave potential shifted towards more negative values with increasing pH.In the range of pH 3.5—9,two waves were observed,the first one being the same as the above-mentioned,and the second wave was an l-electron irreversible reduction. At pH higher than 9,the first wave merged into the second one,resulting in a single wave which corresponds to a 2-electron reduction. The effects of mercury height and temperature on the limiting current have also been studied to determine whether the latter was diffusion-controlled.The results affirmed this. For analytical purpose,it is recommended to use a medium containing 25% ethanol(v/v)and a pH 10 buffer of boric acid,KCI and NaOH. The wave height is measured at -1.7 v.vs.S.C.E. Santonic acid was found to behave similarly as santonin with slightly more negative halfwave potentials.But santoninic acid,formed by rather vigorous treatment of santonin with alkali,was polarographically inactive. From the results of pure santonin and from a study of the extraction of sanfonin from the plant Artemisia,a procedure for the rapid,analysis of the latter was proposed,a sample can be analyzed in about an hour and half,with results in agreement with the gravimetric method,detail of which will be discussed in another article.