ON THE PHYTOLACCA. 8/ 



greater part of the insoluble portion of the ashes, is not 1n 

 the state of carbqnate in the plant, but saturated, as well as 

 the potash, with another acid, which will be mcntijued pre- 

 sentl}'. 



From these observations we may infer, that a hundred > 1 00 lbs. of asTi- 

 pounds of the ashes produced by incinerating the phytolacca^^S^''^® ^^^^^^» 

 will yield Gdj^lbs. 10 oz. 5 dr. of dried alkaline carbonate bonate of pot- 

 nearly pure, and containing about 42 lbs. of pure and caus- ^'^* 

 tic potash*. 



Sect. II. 



Examinaiion of the acid, tl^at neutralizes the potash in the ^ 

 Phytolacca, 



I BOILED 4| hectogr. [14§ oz. troy] of the ftesh woody 141 oz. of the 

 stalks of this plant in a quantity of water. The decoction 

 did not change infusion of litmus. On evaporating to a si- 

 rupy consistence, 1 gram. [15| ^rs.] of a salt confusedly yielded 15|grs 

 crystallized was deposited by stonding some time. Of this «^'»®"'=f^' ^^ 

 the greater part was soluble in water, 2*5 decig. [3| grs.] of 

 a white powder remaining, which were dissolved in nitric 

 acid. With this .solution nitrate of lead gave a white' pre- 

 cipitate, which, dried and put on a red hot iron, gave a lit- 

 tle snjoke, and left a yellow oxide of lead, soluble in a weak 

 acid. . . , 



The soluble part of the sahne deposit did not afford any No* distinctly 

 very distinct crystals on being. evaporated, but a saline crust ^^^^ ^ '^ 

 of a very pungent taste was formed. 



This salt swells up and is carboiiized when exposed to the Swells np, 



fire, and leaves as a residuum carbonate of potash. The f'"'""^' ^"^ 



1 1 1 -1 n 11 . ■ -1 . leaves carbn- 



same salt, when heated with concentrated sulphuricaCid, is nate of potash, 

 blackened, and produces sulphurous acid. ; '- -sc'siiA 



Lime water, and the nitrates of lime, strontian, and lead, Withirme,' 

 \ form white precipitates in its solution, which are insoluUlein jg^^j iusoluUe 

 distilled vinegar. . ; in vinegar, 



• As potash diminishes considerably' iri vegetables in pvoj)ovtion as . .,->^l 



liey api roach the wood> stat<^, it is prubable, that the phytalacca^wouJd - ■'*''^ 



aford a much {greater proportion of potash in an earlier stage of its 



gywth. 

 \ These 



