ON ARISTOLOCHIA RETICULATA. 
13 
! Chevallier, whose analysis is more complete, obtained 
somewhat different results. His analysis is as follows : — 
Volatile oil, a yellow bitter principle soluble in water and in 
alcohol, resin, gum, foecula, woody fibre, albumen, malic 
and phosphoric acids, partly combined with potassa, and a 
trace of iron. 
The volatile oil, which is the most interesting of these 
ingredients, exists in very small proportion, — only half an 
ounce having been obtained by Grassman {quoted by 
Pereira) from one hundred pounds of the root. 
The volatile oil may be obtained by distilling the root 
with a solution of chloride of sodium ; and it comes over 
mixed with the water, rendering it milky. Bigelow states 
that this water, upon standing, deposits crystals of cam- 
phor. The oil of course has the smell and pungent taste 
of the root. 
The succeeding experiments were designed merely to 
see whether the analogy, which is so striking between the 
congeners of this tribe, was carried out in respect to the 
Aristo lochia reticulata. To do this satisfactorily, it was 
necessary to institute experiments on the Aristolochia 
serpenlaria, as well as the <M. reticulata. 
The first series of experiments relate to the Ji. serpen- 
taria ; the second to the Jl. reticulata. 
1st. An infusion was made of the strength of one ounce 
of the root to eight of water, by boiling for ten minutes ; 
this yielded, upon the addition of tincture of iodine, the blue 
color of iodide of starch. 
2d. A portion of the same infusion was filtered, and to 
the clear infusion a solution of the subacetate of lead was 
added, which produced a copious flocculent precipitate, 
showing the presence of gum. 
3d. A cold infusion, which was made by displacement, 
of the strength of half an ounce of the root to eight ounces 
of water, yielded, upon the addition of a solution of ferro- 
vol. x. — no. i. 2 
