ON  GILLENIA  TRIEOLIATA. 
491 
Albumen  is  shown  to  exist  by  the  experiments  of  Messrs, 
Ruch  and  Lemberger. 
Volatile  oil  is  supposed  by  Messrs.  Lewis,  Ruch,  and  Wyeth 
to  be  present  in  small  proportion,  from  the  fact  that  water  dis- 
tilled from  the  root  assumes  a  milky  appearance,  although  no 
globules  separate  upon  standing.  This,  however,  may  be  owing 
to  the  small  quantity  of  the  root  employed  in  each  instance.  Mr* 
Lewis  washed  a  portion  of  the  distillate  with  ether,  and  thereby 
rendered  it  transparent. 
Wax  and  Fatty  Resin  were  found  by  all ;  the  former  having 
been  obtained  from  the  alcoholic,  and  the  latter  from  the  ethereal 
extract. 
Lignin  is  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Lewis,  and 
Coloring  matter  by  Messrs.  Ruch  and  Wyeth. 
Gallo-Tannic  Acid  was  detected  by  Messrs.  Lewis,  Ruch,  and 
Lemberger  by  the  blue-black  precipitate  afforded  with  the  tincture 
of  chloride  of  iron  (which  was  not  dissipated  by  heat)  and  by  a 
precipitate  with  gelatine.    Mr.  Wyeth  considers  it  as  gallic  acid. 
Lime  and  Potassa  were  obtained  from  the  ashes  by  Messrs. 
Wyeth  and  Lemberger. 
Iron  was  found  in  the  ashes  by  Mr.  Lemberger's  experiment 
of  treating  the  lixivated  ashes  with  diluted  muriatic  acid,  and 
adding  a  solution  of  ferro-cyanuret  of  potassium,  when  a  Prussian 
blue  precipitate , was  produced. 
Peculiar  principle  Each  of  the  experiments  seems  to  have 
adopted  the  idea  of  the  existence  of  a  close  analogy,  if  not  of  an 
absolute  identity  between  the  active  principle  of  this  plant,  and 
that  procured  from  the  officinal  ipecacuanha.  Hence  the  mode  of 
procedure  for  obtaining  it  was  essentially  that  of  the  Paris  Codex 
for  impure  emetia.  That  is,  by  treating  a  concentrated  alcoholic 
extract  with  cold  water,  filtering  the  solution,  and  evaporating 
nearly  to  dryness.  This  plan  was  tried  by  Messrs.  Lewis  and 
Lemberger,  and  afforded  an  active  extractive  matter.  The  syrupy 
aqueous  fluid  being  spread  on  panes  of  glass  and  dried  by  a 
moderate  heat. 
The  same  gentlemen,  as  well  as  Mr.  Ruch,  subjected  the  pow- 
dered root  to  the  action  of  ether,  (in  a  second  series  of  experi- 
ments,) to  remove  the  fatty  matter,  before  making  the  alcoholic 
and  watery  extracts.    The  value  of  this  seems  doubtful ;  for  Mr. 
