BULBOUS CROWFOOT, 65 
admixture of alcohol. But the most interesting 
constituent.in this, and in most other species, is 
the aerid principle which pervades every part of 
the plant-in its green. state... Like the acrimony 
of the Arum, it is volatile, and disappears in dry- 
ing, or upon the application of heat. It differs, 
however, in not being destroyed by a moderate 
heat, and in being fully -preseryed in distillation. 
I have subjected various:.species. of Ranunculus 
to this experiment, and always found the distilled 
water to possess a strong acrimony; while the 
decoction and portions of the plant remaining in 
the retort were wholly destitute of this property. 
This distilled water, when first taken into the 
mouth, excited no. particular effect; but after 
a few seconds a sharp, stinging sensation was 
always produced. When swallowed, a» great 
sense of heat took place in the stomach, I pre- 
served some of the water distilled from leaves of 
Ranunculus repens, for several months ina close 
stopped phial ; during which time it retained its 
acrimony undiminished. | In winter time it froze, 
and on thawing had lost this property. . Tilebein, 
as quoted by Dr. Pulteney, in some experiments 
on this genus of plants, found that water distilled 
from R. sceleratus, on cooling, deposited small 
erystals, which were hardly soluble in any men- 
9 
