118 
HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS. 
chloric acid producing a brisk evolution of carbonic acid. On the 
addition of oxalate of ammonia a copious precipitate of lime was 
instantly produced. 
Iron. — With the ferrocyanuret of potassium a deep blue color 
was evinced, indicating the presence of iron. 
Alumina. — A solution of ammonia produced a gelatinous pre- 
cipitate insoluble in excess of the alkali, but soluble in caustic 
potassa, evincing the presence of alumina. As this substance is 
of rare occurrence in a vegetable analysis, I am inclined to be- 
lieve that it was furnished by the earth attached to the root. 
Magnesia* — Phosphate of soda produced a cloudiness immediate- 
ly precipitated by the addition of ammonia revealing the presence of 
magnesia. From the above experiments, the constituents of the 
root of the Hydrastis Canadensis may be summed up as follows : 
Albumen, gallic acid, starch, fatty resin, yellow coloring matter, 
extractive matter, dry acrid resin, ligneous matter, sugar, Hydras- 
tin, potassa, iron, carbonate of lime, and magnesia and alumina 
probably in the state of phosphate. The inference to be drawn 
from the above analysis by the practitioner of medicine, is that the 
Hydrastis Canadensis is not, properly speaking, an astringent 
remedy, as it seems to have been considered to this day, but that 
it acts in the manner of certain narcotic bitter substances , by sooth- 
ing irritation, giving tone to the mucous membranes, and pro- 
ducing a healthy reaction. I know nothing of the activity of the 
crystalline principle hydrastin, not having had as yet occasion to 
have it tried by the practitioner of medicine, but I would recom- 
mend, in preference to any other preparation of the root, the alco- 
holic extract obtained from the aqueous extract, as it seems to pos- 
sess in a high degree all the active properties of the root in a 
concentrated form. 
"Whether I have contributed to enrich the materia medica by 
this analysis, and vegetable chemistry by the addition of a new or- 
ganic principle is yet. to be decided, but I have every reason to be- 
lieve that the coloring matter of the Hydrastis will prove to be 
useful in the arts as a dye It imparts to linen a rich and durable 
light yellow color of great brilliancy, which might probably by 
proper mordants, give all the shades of that color, from the pale 
yellow to the orange. The lake produced by the bi-chloride of tin 
might also prove a useful pigment in oil and water painting. 
