ON LOBELIA INFLATA. 
103 
CHEMICAL HISTORY. 
The subject under consideration, is one of those which has 
attracted but little attention from analytical chemists^ and with 
the exception of one or two instances, no attempt has been 
made, as far as I have been able to learn, to ascertain its con- 
stituents, and determine their several properties. It was with 
this view that the following experiments were undertaken, 
for the assistance of which, choice specimens of the plant were 
selected. 
Experiment 1. — A saturated decoction was precipitated of 
a dirty yellow colour by the subacetate of lead, and of a gray- 
ish white by the protonitrate of mercury. This precipitate 
when dry was of a dark iron gray colour and was changed to 
a deep red brown by nitric acid. A portion of it was intro- 
duced into a tube retort, and heated to redness, when globules 
of mercury were condensed in the receiver, and carbonaceous 
matter left in the retort. 
The decoction was not affected by tincture of iodine, solu- 
tion of gelatin, or the carbonates of soda, and ammonia, and 
the sulphate of zinc. 
Experiment 2. — Another portion of the saturated decoc- 
tion was digested with hydrate of alumina for twenty-four 
hours, having previously been decolourized by animal char- 
coal, filtered and evaporated to one-half. In this state it 
changed the blue colour of litmus to red, caused a deep yellow 
brown precipitate with lime water, and a blackish one with 
the protosulphate of iron. 
Experiment 3. — A portion of Lobelia inflata was submitted 
to the action of water at 160° Fah. for 10 minutes, when a 
portion of the infusion was removed; the temperature was 
then raised to 180° Fah., for 5 minutes, and another portion 
abstracted: additional heat was then applied until 200° was 
attained, and a third portion removed, after which the tempe- 
rature was carried to 212°. Upon comparing the results, that 
first obtained had acquired the least colour but was the mof=t 
acrid, and just in proportion as the temperature had been 
