t 
AHAugUi,i8H72RM'}         Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  etc.  351 
crystals  were  obtained.  They  were  clear,  almost  transparent,  and 
had  an  acrid  and  slightly  pungent  taste.  When  exposed  to  heat  they 
swelled  up,  blackened,  and  were  entirely  volatilized. 
From  the  small  quantity  obtained  I  was  unable  to  present  a  speci- 
men or  to  make  any  further  experiments,  but  hope  to  do  so  at  some 
future  time. 
To  obtain  puccin,  the  clear  ethereal  solution  left  on  precipitating 
the  sulphate  of  sanguinarina  was  set  aside  ;  on  standing,  a  deposit 
took  place  on  the  sides  of  the  bottle,  consisting  of  sulphate  of  san- 
guinarina, known  by  its  red  color. 
The  clear  ethereal  liquid  was  then  poured  into  a  retort,  carefully 
separating  the  free  acid  at  the  bottom  of  the  bottle.  It  was  then 
slowly  distilled  till  nearly  dry,  leaving  a  slight  residue  of  a  brownish- 
red  color  and  having  the  odor  of  sulphate  of  sanguinarina. 
It  was  not  rendered  turbid  by  the  addition  of  a  larger  quantity  of 
ether. 
The  retort  was  then  rinsed  out  with  ether  and  the  whole  evaporated 
to  dryness,  when  it  was  obtained  in  the  state  of  a  reddish-brown  mass, 
having  taste,  smell  and  all  the  external  characteristics  of  sulphate  of 
sanguinarina,  which  might  have  been  re-dissolved  in  the  excess  of  ether 
employed  for  its  precipitation. 
Equal  bulks  of  sulphate  of  sanguinarina  and  this  residue  were 
taken  and  separately  treated  with  equal  quantities  of  ether  ;  the  resi- 
due was  dissolved,  while  the  sulphate  of  sanguinarina  was  not. 
The  residue  had  an  acid  reaction  to  test  paper  ;  it  was  then  dis- 
solved in  alcohol  and  left  to  evaporate  spontaneously. 
For  want  of  time  I  did  not  make  any  further  experiments  with 
sanguinarina  and  puccina,  which  appear  to  be  not  identical,  as  has 
been  asserted  by  some. 
Sanguinarinic  acid  was  prepared  from  the  filtrate  after  precipitat- 
ing by  iodohydrargyrate  of  potassium.  The  precipitate  obtained 
with  solution  of  acetate  of  lead  was  washed  with  water  to  remove  ex- 
cess of  lead ;  the  moist  magma  was  suspended  in  water,  and  sulphu- 
retted hydrogen  was  passed  through  it  till  the  black  sulphide  of  lead 
was  no  longer  produced.  The  clear  filtrate,  free  from  lead,  was 
evaporated  till  it  formed  into  a  crystalline  mass  of  a  deep  red  color. 
The  crystals  were  insoluble  in  alcohol,  and  their  taste  was  sour  and 
acrid.* 
*  Newbold's  sanguinarinic  acid  is  soluble  in  alcohol,  and  has  little  taste.  (See 
Amer.  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1866,  497.)— Ed. 
