198 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
in excess, the solution is turned to a dark brown color, and is 
incapable of alteration by emulsine. 
The last observations place beyond all doubt the existence 
of amygdaline in wild cherry bark. 
To prove that amygdaline exists ready formed in the bark, a 
small quantity of the powdered bark was rubbed up with water, 
as in making an emulsion of almonds, and then mixed with a 
large quantity of cold alcohol, and the whole thrown on a fil- 
ter. — The filtered liquid when evaporated yielded an extract 
similar to the one before obtained, being affected by emulsine 
in the same manner. 
When the marc is macerated in water, it evolves none of 
the usual odor of wild cherry bark when under the same cir- 
cumstances. 
The kernels of wild cherries yield an essential oil and hy- 
drocyanic acid by distillation with water, in all respects simi- 
lar to the bark, hence we may infer without further examina- 
tion, that they likewise contain amygdaline as the source of 
the volatile oil and hydrocyanic acid. 
A portion of the dried leaves of the Prunus Virginiana 
were treated with boiling absolute alcohol, and the alcoholic 
solution thus obtained filtered while hot and evaporated to 
dryness. This residue was treated with boiling water, until 
every thing soluble in that menstruum was removed, and 
then filtered; after it had ceased to produce a precipitate with 
subacetate of lead, a current of hydrosulphuric acid was passed 
through the liquid, and the filtered liquid boiled to expel the 
gas. This liquid when mixed with solution of emulsine, 
emitted the odor of hydrocyanic acid, which fact sufficiently 
proves the presence of amygdaline in these leaves. 
A small quantity of the kernels of the Prunus Floridana 
(this species being rare and difficult to obtain) was sub- 
jected to distillation with water until all the volatile products 
had passed over. The distilled water had a powerful hydro- 
cyanic acid odor, and when tested by the Prussian blue pro- 
cess, the presence of that acid was placed beyond doubt. 
To be still more certain, however, a portion of the distilled 
