ON  monsel's  salt. 
201 
gave  a  yellow  precipitate  when  it  was  added  to  the  solution, 
showing  the  presence  of  potassa.  I  presume  they  were  crystals 
of  nitrate  potassa. 
Sixth.  To  avoid  the  extractive  matter  two  ounces  of  the 
bark  was  exhausted  with  ether,  the  ethereal  solution  was  evapo- 
rated, the  fixed  oil  which  separated  was  decanted,  and  the 
ethereal  extract  washed  with  alcohol.  The  alcoholic  solution 
on  evaporation  yielded  a  resin  of  a  reddish  brown  color  and 
beautifully  transparent.  The  taste  was  disagreeable  and  very 
acrid  at  first,  but  after  a  short  time  producing  a  numbing  sen- 
sation which  lasted  for  a  long  time.  The  part  of  the  ethereal 
extract  which  was  not  dissolved  by  the  alcohol  was  also  of  a 
resinous  nature,  but  was  almost  tasteless,  and  had  none  of  the 
acrimony  of  the  alcoholic  resin.  I  made  repeated  attempts  to 
obtain  crystals  from  the  alcoholic  resin  but  was  unsuccessful. 
From  the  result  of  these  experiments  I  concluded  that  the  bark 
contains  vegetable  albumen,  gum,  starch,  volatile  oil,  fixed  oil, 
extractive  matter,  a  resinous  substance  soluble  in  ether,  and  a 
resin  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  and  upon  which,  in  connection 
with  the  volatile  oil,  the  bark  depends  for  its  activity. 
ON  MONSEL'S  SALT. 
By  H.  T.  Peck. 
(An  Inaugural  Essay  presented  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  1862. ) 
Monsel's  salt  is  at  present  quite  prominent  among  the  new 
pharmaceutical  preparations  that  have  been  introduced  within 
the  last  few  years.  Its  value  in  the  cases  for  which  it  has  been 
recommended  seems  to  be  well  determined,  and  the  demand  for  it 
has  become  considerable. 
As  seen  in  the  market  it  presents  variable  appearances.  Some 
specimens  being  in  the  anhydrous  condition  of  a  greenish  yellow 
color,  and  in  the  form  of  powder  or  small  granular  masses,  and 
others  in  the  form  of  scales,  reddish  brown  in  color,  containing 
some  water — water  of  crystallization,  if  I  may  so  call  it.  I  have 
also  noticed  the  presence  of  nitric  oxide  in  several  specimens. 
The  salt  in  scales  dissolves  readily,  and  forms  a  clear  solution. 
The  other  kinds  dissolve  slowly  and  imperfectly,  yielding  turbid 
