8 
ORIGINAL 
COMMUNICATIONS. 
liquor with ether, another, though minute portion, was de- 
tected. Some doubt might be entertained as to the nature 
of the substance obtained by ether, for it is fair to suppose 
that an acetate of magnesia might exist in the filtered liquid, 
and that this was what the ether abstracted. But putting 
aside all other evidence to the contrary, acetate of magnesia 
was proved, experimentally, to be insoluble in sulphuric 
ether, and this salt is the only substance, other than delphia, 
that the liquid could contain. 
9th.— A portion of the seeds were incinerated, and the in- 
cinerated mass lixiviated with hot water and filtered. To 
the filtered solution, a small portion of nitric acid was added, 
and the solution evaporated to dryness, when the readily re- 
cognised crystals of nitrate of potassa were left behind. 
Upon lixiviating a second portion of the incinerated seeds 
with dilute nitric acid, filtering, and testing one part of the 
solution with oxalic acid, and another part with a solution of 
ferrocyanate of potassa, a copious white precipitate of oxalate 
of lime was obtained in the first case, and a deep blue color 
was produced in the second, indicating the presence of iron. 
The constitution of larkspur seeds may, therefore, be stated 
to be as follows: — 1st, gum; 2d, gallic acid; 3d, chlorophylle; 
4th, fixed oil; 5th, volatile oil; 6th, resin; 7th, delphia; 8th, 
salts of potassa, lime, and iron. 
