LEATHER WOOD. 157 
vomiting. This effect pretty certainly occurs if 
the bark be recent or freshly powdered. 
A yariety of observations on this shrub have 
been made by my pupil, Dr. John Locke, who 
first called my attention to the examination of its 
properties. He found on experiment that not 
only the distilled water, but the decoction also 
was void of acrimony, and that in the boiled bark 
this property was very much diminished, though 
still present. The watery extract had consider- 
able bitterness, but scarcely any of the peculiar 
acrimony of the plant. ‘Taken in doses of a 
drachm, it did not produce any very sensible ef- 
fect. Aleohol without heat acquired but slight 
sensible properties from the bark. Nothing 
came over by distillation with alcohol, but the 
alcohol remaining in the retort had acquired the 
acrimony. ‘The spirituous extract procured by 
evaporating this decoction was equal to one twen- 
ty fourth of the bark from which it was obtained. 
It contained the acrimony in a concentrated form, 
producing a more powerful effect on the’ fauces 
than the fresh bark. It was ew but not com- 
pletely soluble in water. | 
_ Dr. Locke gave the freshly dried root to various 
patients in doses of from five to ten grains, which 
quantity in most instances proyed powerfully 
