BEAR BERRY. 69 
decoction, the first of a light green, the last of a 
brownish colour. Of the existence of gallic acid, 
at least as it exists in galls, I have found no suffi- 
eient proof. The decoction does not redden vege- 
table blues, and the black precipitate with the sul- 
phate of iron soon subsides, leaving the fluid nearly 
colourless. The quantity of resin, mucous mat- 
ter and extractive, provided they exist in this plant, 
must be minute ; since the decoction was not ren- 
dered turbid by the addition of alcohol or ether, 
nor the tincture by the addition of water, although 
after standing twenty four hours, some slight floc- 
culiappeared. Muriate of tin produced no precip- 
itation from the decoction, though it gave one from 
the tincture. Acetite of lead and nitrate of sil- 
ver gave large precipitates, Water distilled from 
this plant, suffered no change with sulphate of 
iron, or muriate of tin. 
Professor Murray of Gottingen, finding a great- 
er amount of soluble matter taken up by water 
than by alcohol, considers the former as the best 
menstruum for this article. A similar inference 
from the American plant was made by Dr. John 
S. Mitchell in an inaugural dissertation, published 
at Philadelphia in 1803. For medical uses, Mur- 
ray prefers the decoction to the infusion. 
