ON ASARUM CANADENSE, ETC. 
18X 
The oil was now separated ; it amounted to Jive per cent, 
of the root employed, and had a straw yellow color. 
Again ; ten ounces of the dried root, was distilled with 
seven times its weight of water, and four fluid ounces of alco- 
hol, after maceration for five days. The result of the opera- 
tion, was a very milky fluid, on which floated a considerable 
quantity of essential oil, of a lighter color than that before ob- 
tained. [The milky fluid gradually became" 1 transparent, a 
small quantity of oil separating on its surface, but on the ad- 
dition of water it again assumed a milky appearance, doubt- 
less owing to the separation of a quantity of volatile oil held 
in solution through the intervention of the alcohol. 
A portion of the distilled fluid and accompanying oil, was 
exposed in the receiver for two weeks, to the influence of the 
atmosphere, without the slightest evidence of its becoming 
crystalline, or in any way changing its character. 
Another portion of the distilled water and oil was treated 
by a current of oxygen gas, and afterwards exposed to an at- 
mosphere of oxygen, but no change whatever ensued, hence 
it may be concluded that the Asarum Canadense, does not con- 
tain either asarite or asarum camphor, nor substancesanalogous 
to them. 
When an alcoholic tincture of the root is evaporated, a 
greenish yellow oily matter, and a reddish matter are obtain- 
ed. The first appears to be a mixture of volatile oil, and an 
acrid resinous substance, which differs in taste from the oil, in 
being acrid and bitter, without being aromatic. 
When^an ethereal tincture of the root is suffered to evapo- 
rate spontaneously, there results greenish globules of oily 
matter floating on the water, which remained after the 
evaporation'of the pure ether. This matter had an acrid disa- 
greeable taste, — and when treated with alcohol nearly all of 
it was dissolved. On evaporating the alcoholic solution, a 
semi-fluid substance resulted, which appeared to be a mix- 
ture of volatile oil, acrid resin, and probably a little fixed oil. 
It had a very acrid, burning taste, and when heated, copious 
