ON DELPHINIUM CONSOLIDA. 7 
is shown by the mode in which it was obtained, soluble in 
alcohol, but very sparingly soluble in water. It dissolved 
readily in acids, forming with the sulphuric and nitric, crystal- 
lizable salts. The muriate and acetate of this vegetable alkali 
could not be made to crystallize. All its salts were deli- 
quescent. When a portion of this substance was placed upon 
a heated plate, it was melted like wax, and by increasing the 
heat was consumed without residue. About five grains of it 
were obtained from an ounce of seeds, which, after decoction, 
as stated above, with acidulated water, were found to be 
wholly deprived of their bitterness; whereas, when boiled 
with water, not acidulated, it was almost impossible to ex- 
haust them, though decocted several times in successive por- 
tions of water. I have examined the description of delphia 
given by its discoverers, and find it to agree in every particu- 
lar with the above substance, and, therefore, think it not a 
hasty conclusion to pronounce these two substances identical. 
1th. — In the former part of the last mentioned process, 
when the mixture, after the addition of magnesia, had been 
filtered, the filtered liquor was found still to possess consider- 
able bitterness. It was, therefore, evaporated somewhat, and 
then washed with sulphuric ether. Upon decantation, and 
the evaporation of the ether, a small quantity of a substance 
was left, having a very bitter taste, and which was supposed, 
at first, to be a peculiar principle, differing from delphia, as 
obtained by the last process; but, upon a further investiga- 
tion, it was found to possess all the properties of that sub- 
stance. We would consequently infer, that a minute portion 
of delphia remained dissolved in the liquid, from which the 
major part had been precipitated by the magnesia, and that 
this minute portion was abstracted by the ether. 
8th. — In order to ascertain whether the stavesacre seeds, 
similarly treated, would yield similar results as above, one 
ounce of those seeds was submitted to decoction in acidulated 
water, and treated in every respect precisely as the larkspur 
seeds were in the last experiment. By precipitating with 
magnesia, delphia was obtained, and by washing the filtered 
