182 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, 
small portion of anin^al charcoal, filtered while hot, and on 
evaporation yielded a substance somewhat lighter in appear- 
ance, irregular in shape, interspersed with numerous small, shin- 
ing crystals. It had lost its sweet taste, but retained its bitter 
one; was soluble in water and nitric acid, and insoluble in ether. 
A portion of the bruised root was digested for three days 
in ether. The tincture was slightly tinged with a red colour, 
possessing little of the bitter taste imparted to alcohol and 
water. The colour was deepened on the addition of an alkali. 
On evaporating this tincture, a substance adhered to the sides 
of the vessel of a red colour, somewhat unctuous to the fingers, 
insoluble in alcohol and water, but soluble in ether and a so- 
lution of carbonate of potassa. 
A decoction was made by boiling for fifteen minutes §iv. 
of the root in cong. ss. of water; this was filtered, and a solu- 
tion of subacetate of lead gradually added as long as any pre- 
cipitate was formed. A stream of sulphuretted hydrogen was 
transmitted through the liquid, after filtration, to get rid of 
the excess of acetate of lead. The liquid was again filtered to 
remove the excess of sulphuret of lead; it was next concen- 
trated by a gentle heat, and boiled with a small quantity of 
carbonate of magnesia; filtered, and the residue on the filter 
edulcorated with cold water; after the magnesia had subsided, 
the clear liquid w^as poured oflf and treated with boiling alco- 
hol. The liquid was evaporated, and a very minute quantity 
of a slight brown or grayish substance was obtained. This 
was exceedingly bitter, and half a grain produced a very great 
desire to vomit, which lasted for an hour. Owing to the very 
small quantity obtained, I was unable to experiment or ascer- 
tain its precise nature. It was reddened by the action of 
nitric acid, and I am of the opinion that it was the active 
proximate principle. 
From these few experiments, I concluded that there exist 
in this plant, 1. gum; 2. resin; 3. starch; 4. red colouring 
matter; 5. wax; 6. sugar; 7. a bitter proximate principle, sup- 
posed to be analogous to Veratria; 8. gallic acid, combined 
with the preceding. 
