314 
NEW AMERICAN REMEDIES. 
which may probably turn out to be a new alkaloid, as constituents of the so- 
called root. He could not discover the presence of any fixed or volatile oil. The 
medical properties of the root, he believes to exist in the crystallizable principle 
obtained. 
An infusion of the mixed rhizomes and roots, well bruised, in the proportion 
of one ounce to twenty-four ounces of boiling water, and allowed to macerate 
for twenty-four hours, had a yellowish-brown-red colour, about that of an ordinary 
brown sherry, a peculiar well-marked odour, reminding one to a certain extent of 
liquorice, and a peculiar, slightly bitter, acrid taste. It exhibited the following 
reactions:— tincture of iodine produced an intense blue coloration, but no pre¬ 
cipitate; solution of persulphate of iron heightened the colour, but produced no 
precipitate; solution of per chloride of iron had the same effect as the former, 
but more marked, although no precipitate was formed ; solution of baryta caused 
the depositioii of a plentiful, light, flaky, brownish precipitate ; solution of nitrate 
of silver slowly reddened the colour of the infusion, and ultimately formed a 
tolerably abundant dark reddish-brown precipitate; solution of sulphate of copper 
caused a light, flocculent brown precipitate; solution of acetate of lead speedily 
caused a plentiful, light, brownish precipitate ; solution of basic acetate oj lead 
rendered the infusion milky, and caused the slow deposition of an abundant, 
light, yellowish-white precipitate ; solution of bichloride of platinum produced a 
very evident brownish-black coloration, and after some hours, a plentiful 
brownish-bluish-black precipitate was deposited; solution of protochloride of tin 
had no evident effect at first, but after some hours’ standing, the infusion depo¬ 
sited an evident, yellowish precipitate ; solution of chloride of lime slightly 
f deepened the colour at first, the colour then became slowly discharged, and a 
slight, white, flocculent precipitate was formed ; solution of oxalate of ammonia 
produced after some hours an evident whitish, more or less floating precipitate ; 
sulphuric acid had no very marked effect at first, but after some time it caused a 
dirty-yellowish-white, powdery precipitate ; hydrochloric acid slightly lessened 
the colour of the infusion, but its effect was not very marked. No very evident 
effects were produced by litmus or turmeric papers ; nor by nitric or acetic acids; 
nor by tincture of galls ; nor by the application of either of the following solu¬ 
tions : — potash, ferrocyctnule of potassium, ferriclcyanide of potassium , chromate 
of potash , antimoniate of potash, carbonate of potash, nitrate of baryta, sulphate 
of soda, bichloride of mercury, chloride of calcium, sulphate of lime, gelatine , and 
ammonia. 
By the application of nitric acid to the freshly cut surface of the root, a red¬ 
dish tint was produced over both cortical and woody portions. Sulphuric acid 
applied in like manner rendered the different parts more evident, and the colour 
more especially of the cortical portion was darkened. By a like application of 
hydrochloric acid, all parts of the section became reddened, except the external 
bark, which was turned nearly black: the different regions were also rendered more 
evident. By the addition of solution of ammonia, no very evident effects were 
produced in the woody parts, but the cortical portion became much darkened in 
colour. 
Medicinal Properties and Uses. —Wild Indigo is in much esteem by 
some American medical practitioners for its antiseptic properties. It has been 
employed on this account in the form of a gargle or wash in gangrenous ulcera¬ 
tion of the mouth and throat, mercurial ulceration, and as a poultice applied to 
malignant ulcers tending to gangrene.* Dr. Wood states that Dr. Comstock, of 
lihode Island, found it extremely useful, both as an internal and external remedy, 
in threatened or existing mortification. Dr. Stevens, of Ceres, Pennsylvania, 
has employed a decoction of the root advantageously in epidemic dysentery, and 
* Pharm. Journ. vol. xvi. p/ 271. 
