32 
Original Communications. 
ART. X.— ON SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. By Clement J. Lee. 
(Extract from thesis. Phil. Coll. Phar.) 
According to Dr. Dana the active principle may be obtain- 
ed, by digesting the finely powdered root in absolute alcohol, 
and adding to the tincture a solution of ammonia so long as it 
occasions any precipitate ; a gray powder falls down which 
is to be collected and boiled in water, with some pure animal 
charcoal — the liquid is then filtered, and alcohol is to be di- 
gested on the matter remaining on the filter and afterwards 
evaporated to dryness. A white substance remains having 
an acid taste : this substance is the sanguinarena of Dr. Dana. 
I followed up the above experiment, and obtained the ac- 
tive principle of the root, although in a very small quantity. 
Experiment 2d. A tincture was formed by digesting ^iv 
of the finely powdered root, in §viij of absolute alcohol, for 
six days, filtering off the tincture and adding ^viij more of 
absolute alcohol to the dregs, and digesting as before ; a se- 
cond time filtering off and mixing the tinctures together. To 
which was added a solution of acetate of lead, so long as 
any precipitate was afforded. The liquid was then filtered 
and the excess of lead precipitated by passing a stream of 
hydro-sulphuric acid through the solution. It was then fil- 
tered and slightly heated to drive off the excess of hydro-sul- 
phuric acid. The solution was then evaporated away to about 
one-fourth, which united with the acetic acid, and precipitated 
the sanguinarena with a portion of uncombined magnesia. 
The precipitate was dried and treated with boiling alcohol, 
which dissolved out the sanguinarena, and yielded it by spon- 
taneous evaporation. The product obtained by the above 
process was not entirely white, no doubt owing to some im- 
purities. Its taste was extremely acrid ; in alcohol it was very 
soluble, but sparingly so in water. Its alcoholic solution af- 
forded a slight precipitate with tincture of galls, which was 
soluble in alcohol, but insoluble in water and ammonia. San- 
guinarena is soluble in sulphuric acid, forming a beautiful red 
