432 DR MACLAGAN ON THE BEBEERU TREE OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



recently informed by Dr GERGENS of Wisbaden, that he and other practitioners had 

 used it with success in Germany. Both Dr WATT and myself were led to suspect, 

 from the history of this substance, that it was a preparation from the bebeeru 

 tree ; and chemical examination has decided me in this opinion. On evaporating 

 the fluid, which is alcoholic, treating the residue with water acidulated with sul- 

 phuric acid, and precipitating by ammonia, I got from it a pink precipitate, be- 

 coming darker on drying, from which, by the action of ether, I extracted bebee- 

 rine of its characteristic appearance. I infer from the colour of the precipitate, 

 that the fluid is a tincture of the seeds. It contains but little of the alkali, and 

 abounds in a yellow colouring matter and other ingredients which I did not 

 examine. 



I feel that this paper requires some apology, as it is wanting in those points 

 of minute research into the ultimate constitution of the alkalies, &c. which alone 

 can render it of interest in a chemical point of view. These investigations I hope 

 to be enabled to make in the course of the summer. In the mean time I was de- 

 sirous of making known the results I had already obtained, as it is my intention 

 to have the sulphate prepared in quantity, that its supposed virtues as a medi- 

 cine may be fairly tested. Should the expectations which have been formed of 

 it be in any measure realized, the original discoverer, Mr RODIE, will be entitled 

 to our grateful consideration. 



