ON DICTAMNUS ALBUS. 
105 
particles that escape from it are exceedingly irritating to the 
nostrils and throat. 
In the hot countries of Europe there is distilled from the flow- 
ers a highly perfumed water, which is employed as a cosmetic. 
In commerce, the medutillium, deprived of its bark, is often 
substituted for the bark, but the fraud is easily recognised. 
White Dittany is stimulant, diaphoretic, and vermifuge. Its 
chief use has been in epilepsy and hysteria, nervous fevers, 
and inveterate leucorrhcea. 
It may be given in substance, infusion or decoction. Dose, 
9j. to 3j. of the powder twice a day. A tincture is made in the 
proportion of two ounces to a pint of alcohol. Dose, twenty to 
sixty drops. 
ANALYSIS. 
Finding this plant had not yet been subjected to chemical in- 
vestigation, I engaged in its analysis, not with the expectation 
of discovering some new alkaloid or detecting some peculiar hid- 
den principle, but as much for my own satisfaction, as a desire to 
determine the principal constituents of the plant, and thus con- 
nect its chemical with the botanical history. I regret not having 
had some of the fresh plant to operate upon; but this being 
unattainable, I had recourse to a small quantity of the dry bark, 
which was all that could be found in our drug-mart. 
A. Experiment No. 1. — A portion of the dried bark was 
incinerated in a crucible; the unconsumed product weighed 
one-tenth of the whole, having resisted the intense heat of a 
furnace. 
2. To a portion of this residue, boiling water was added, and 
the whole thrown into a filter. The transparent liquid changed 
turmeric to brown, and restored reddened litmus. 
3, Nitric acid poured upon the ashes caused a brisk efferves- 
scence; water was added to dilute it, and then filtered. The 
clear solution was then subjected by portions to experiment 
Ferrocyanate of potassa betrayed vividly the presence of 
iron, and oxalate of ammonia that of lime, by a dense white 
cloud. Caustic potassa and the mineral acids had no effect upon 
it. Traces of a phosphate were made evident by lime water, 
VOL. v. — NO. II. 14 
