4144 SPIGELIA MARILANDICA. 
though the tincture is made turbid by it. After the 
decoction was filtrated from the mucus, which had 
been coagulated by alcohol, it gaye a precipitate 
with nitrate of mercury, but none with muriate of 
tin. Sulphate of iron caused a dark green precip- 
itate from the decoction, and but little change in 
the tincture. No distinct evidence of resin pre- 
sented itself. A substance which may perhaps 
be considered a variety of extractive matter, ap- 
pears to exist in this plant, as the tincture was 
affected in nearly the same manner by- the salts 
of tin and mercury above mentioned, as the fil- 
trated. decoction. | ; 
Water may be considered an adnate solvent 
for the chief proximate principles of this plant. 
The medicinal reputation of the Spigelia is 
founded on the powers which it is supposed to 
possess as a vermifuge. This reputation is now 
so generally established, that the plant has_be- 
come a considerable article of commerce to yari- 
ous parts of the world, from our southern states. 
This is a sufficient evidence, that the medicine 
has, to a certain extent, satisfied public expecta- 
tion, and obtained the sanction of practitioners. 
But beyond this, it is difficult to speak confident- 
ly on the subject. The Spigelia belongs to a 
class of medicines, which are frequently prescrib- 
