\ 
Am*NJo°yU,ri884arm'}  Root  °f  Phytolacca  Decandra.  569 
were  distilled  separately  after  the  addition  of  solution  of  potassa  and 
sulphuric  acid  to  each  respectively,  and  still  no  change  could  be  noted 
in  the  distillate. 
The  first  acid  distillate  was  then  carefully  neutralized  with  solution 
of  potassa.  A  change  of  color  was  here  noted  as  the  liquid  neared 
neutrality,  the  colorless  liquid  changing  to  a  pale  light  yellowish-green, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  odor  almost  entirely  disappeared.  The  solu- 
tion was  slowly  and  carefully  evaporated  to  a  small  bulk,  and,  on 
allowing  to  stand,  a  small  crop  of  nearly  colorless  acicular  crystals 
separated.  These  had  an  acrid  taste,  resembling  that  of  the  root,  after 
remaining  in  the  mouth  a  short  time.  On  being  treated  with  acids  the 
salt  was  decomposed,  the  acid  going  off  with  effervescence,  and  giving 
the  characteristic  strong  disagreeable  odor  of  the  root  in  an  intensified 
degree.  The  crystals  I  consider  to  be  the  potassium  salt  of  a  volatile 
acid  characteristic  of  Phytolacca  root. 
A  strong  decoction  of  the  root  was  precipitated  with  solution  of  sub- 
acetate  of  lead,  filtered,  and  the  lead  precipitated  from  the  filtrate  by  a 
current  of  hydrosulphuric  acid  gas;  again  filtered,  and  a  portion  evap- 
orated to  a  small  bulk.  This  was  divided  into  four  parts,  and  tested 
for  alkaloids  with  phosphomclybdic  acid,  tannin,  iodohydrargyrate  of 
potassium  and  auric  chloride ;  each  gave  a  precipitate  indicating  the 
presence  of  an  alkaloid,  to  separate  which  the  following  method  was 
used : 
The  filtrate  from  the  lead  precipitate  was  carefully  concentrated  and 
mixed  with  an  equal  volume  of  saturated  alum  solution.  The  mix- 
ture was  heated,  ammonia  added  in  slight  excess,  the  whole  evaporated 
on  a  water-bath,  and  the  residue  powdered  and  extracted  with  alcohol. 
On  evaporating  the  alcoholic  liquid  a  yellowish  mass  of  small  crystals 
was  obtained.  This  was  redissolved  in  alcohol,  the  solution  passed 
through  animal  charcoal  and  carefully  evaporated,  when  small,  nearly 
white  crystals  were  left.  These  were  quite  soluble  in  alcohol,  moder- 
ately so  in  water  and  nearly  insoluble  in  ether  and  chloroform.  They 
were  entirely  dissipated  when  heated  upon  platinum  foil,  and  in  aque- 
ous solution  gave  precipitates  with  the  four  alkaloidal  reagents  before 
mentioned.  With  strong  nitric,  sulphuric  or  hydrochloric  acids  the 
crystals  simply  dissolved,  giving  no  characteristic  color  test. 
The  alcoholic  solution  of  the  crystals,  neutralized  with  diluted 
hydrochloric  acid,  on  concentration  yielded  nearly  colorless  acicular 
