ON HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS- 
115 
Ligneous Matter. The dregs were next boiled with water, to 
which they still imparted the taste, odor and color of the plant, 
but after exhausting them perfectly, I was compelled to set them 
aside for several days, to attend to the duties of the store, during 
which time both the decoction and dregs underwent fermentation, 
thus putting an end to an experiment intended to ascertain the re- 
lative quantity of soluble matters and lignin existing in the root of 
the Hydrastis. 
INVESTIGATION OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT. 
The aqueous extract possessed the bitterness and strong narcotic 
odor of the plant. It was perfectly soluble in cold water, sparingly 
so in cold alcohol, but boiling alcohol dissolved about one-half. 
These solutions were all neutral and more or less colored. 
The portion taken up by the alcohol evaporated to dryn ess 
yielded a garnet colored extract of intense bitterness, far surpass- 
ing that of the other half. It dissolved readily in water, to which 
it imparted a bright yellow color. This alcoholic extract seems 
to bear the same relation to the original extract that commercial 
ergotine does to the aqueous extract of ergot, and to contain 
all the active properties of the plant combined with the coloring 
matter. 
Sugar. — The portion of the aqueous extract not taken up by 
the alcohol was black, affording with water a dark-brown solution 
much less bitter and odorous than the other ; subjected to a strong 
heat it was decomposed, emitting the peculiar odor of burnt sugar., 
500 grains of the aqueous extract were dissolved in eight ounces 
of water, to which 125 grains of magnesia were added, and the 
whole digested on a sand bath for two hours ; then filtered, and 
the residuum washed with water and dried. This was digested in 
boiling alcohol and afterwards filtered. The liquor was now set 
aside to evaporate spontaneously and afforded after twenty-four 
hours, beautiful four-sided prismatic crystals terminated by pyra- 
midal summits. These were separated from the mother-liquor 
which after a few days yielded a new crop of crystals larger than 
the former, but of a prismatic tabular form. 
125 grains of the same extract were dissolved in four ounces of 
water, and the solution treated with basic acetate of lead until it 
ceased to produce a precipitate. This was separated by filtration, 
