HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS. 
117 
up in a carbonaceous mass, which disappeared entirely by protract- 
ed heat, proving them to be of organic origin. 
Two grains of the crystals were next mixed with thirty grains 
of caustic potassa placed in a test tube and submitted to the flame 
of a spirit lamp, when the odor of ammonia was soon made sensi- 
ble, proying the presence of nitrogen. The second crop of crys- 
tals were different, as before mentioned, in the form of crystalliza- 
tion and in color only ; in all other respects they were identical 
with the first. All the experiments are not sufficiently conclusive 
to pronounce on the nature of the crystals. They certainly pos- 
sess many characteristics of organic bases, such as to contain nitro- 
gen, to restore the blue color to litmus paper previously reddened 
by an acid, to dissolve in acids, and be precipitated from their solu- 
tions by ammonia and by tannin ; but so far, I have not been 
able to reach the most important point, that is, to obtain crystals 
from their solutions in acids, nor to experiment on the amorphous 
granules yielded by the evaporation of their solutions with the 
view to ascertain whether they were formed by the combination of 
an acid with a base, or merely the substance itself deposited by 
evaporation from a mere solution in an acid. For the present I 
shall therefore call the substance Hydrastin, with the hope that I 
will be more successful, after repeating my experiments on a 
larger scale, in fully establishing its rank among the alkaloids, and 
in conformity with our nomenclature change its present name of 
Hydrastin to that of Hydrastia. 
EXAMINATION OF THE ASHES. 
Potassa. One thousand grains of the bruised Hydrastis were 
incinerated in a covered crucible, and forty-four grains of ashes 
obtained. They were first treated with boiling water, to a portion 
of which a solutionof tartaric acid was added ; no effervescence was 
manifested, and a crystalline precipitate of bitartrate of potassa 
was revealed. The presence of potassa was further confirmed by 
producing precipitates on the addition of solution of nitrate of sil- 
ver and bi-chloride of platinum. Oxalate of ammonia rendered 
the liquor slightly turbid. Ferrocyanide of potassium did not 
evince the presence of iron. 
Carbonate of Lime. — The insoluble portion remaining on the 
filter, was then treated with boiling water acidulated with hydro- 
