168 
ON PHYTOLACCA DECANDRA. 
evaporation, which the tests showed to consist exclusively 
of a solution of starch. The root was again dried and weigh- 
ed, indicating a loss of eighty grains, the residuum weighing 
282 grains and consisting of woody fibre or lignin. 
Experiment Second. — The two hundred and eighty-two 
grains remaining from the preceding experiment were in- 
cinerated and treated with successive portions of boiling 
water, until all the soluble matter was taken up. The so- 
lution filtered and concentrated by evaporation, was divided 
into two equal portions, one of which was tested for the 
soluble salts generally found in the ashes of plants, but 
none were detected except potassa. The other half of the 
liquid was evaporated to dryness and yielded six grains of 
carbonate of potassa, equal to about eight grains of pure 
potassa in the whole quantity. The residuum weighing 
seven and a half grains, was now treated with dilute nitric 
acid; the acid solution filtered, threw down, on the addition 
of ferrocyanide of potassium, a copious precipitate of ferro- 
cynate of iron. The residuum remaining on the filter when 
dried weighed four grains, and appeared to be composed en- 
tirely of carbonaceous matter, with a minute quantity of 
silica, showing that the acid had taken up three and a half 
grains, which the tests proved to be iron. 
Experiment Third. — Four hundred grains of the root in 
coarse powder were digested in sulph. ether for several days, 
then thrown on a displacement filter and returned several 
times. Successive portions of ether were then added until 
it came away colorless. The etherial solution thus obtain- 
ed had a light straw color. Upon evaporation, it yielded a 
dark-brown colored oil weighing two grains. This oil is 
sparingly soluble in alcohol, it combines readily with the 
alkalies, forming soaps; leaves a greasy stain on paper, and 
seems to possess all the properties of a fixed oil. 
From these experiments it appears that the root of the 
Phytolacca decandra is composed of the following con 
stituents: 
