246 
ON SALSEPARINE. 
that heat employed for the extraction of the active parts of 
sarsaparilla should be banished from practice. Salseparine, 
possessing great medical power, every thing concurs to lead 
us to presume that to its presence sarsaparilla owes the pro- 
perties which have given to it so exalted a reputation in the 
healing art. 
It can be imagined, that in consequence of the volatility of 
salseparine the preparations of sarsaparilla which have been 
submitted to the action of heat are entirely deprived of this 
principle. I am certain, on the contrary, that the extract ob- 
tained by the concentration of the alcoholic tincture, by aid 
of the salt water bath, still contains a considerable quantity 
of it. 
I have obtained salseparine, by distilling in a salt water 
bath a tincture of sarsaparilla, prepared with very dilute 
alcohol, and filtering the product after it has stood several 
hours. 
Journ. de Chimie Medicate. 
