54  Notes  on  So?ne  Indigenous  Drugs.  {"-'^^^^Z'^l^^^' 
residue,  of  a  somewhat  gelatinous  aspect.  It  possessed  a  bitter  taste, 
was  insoluble  in  ether,  soluble  to  a  limited  extent,  in  water,  more  solu- 
ble in  alcohol,  particularly  if  heated.  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  col- 
ors it  brown  red  ;  cold  nitric  acid  has  but  little  effect  upon  it. 
Actcea  alha^  Bigelow.  By  William  Dilmore,  Ph.  G. — This  plant  is 
popularly  known  under  the  name  of  white  cohosh,  white  beads,  Noah's 
ark  and  necklace  weed.  The  rhizome  with  the  rootlets,  which  is  the 
portion  medicinally  employ  ed,  has  at  first  a  sweetish-bitter,  afterwards 
acrid  taste,  followed  by  a  peculiar  irritating  sensation  upon  the  fauces. 
The  distillate  with  water  possessed  the  odor  of  the  root  and  a  slight 
taste.  The  infusion  and  decoction  were  found  to  contain  albumen, 
gum,  sugar,  starch  and  extractive,  but  neither  tannin  or  gallic  acid. 
The  alcoholic  tincture  contains  two  resins  having  the  acrid  taste  of  the 
root,  both  of  which  are  soluble  in  alkalies  and  reprecipitated  by  acids, 
while  ether  dissolves  one  only.  After  the  concentrated  tincture  has 
been  precipitated  by  water,  and  the  resins  filtered  off,  the  liquid  froths 
considerably  on  agitation,  and  contains  a  principle  analogous  to  saponin, 
which  may  be  obtained  in  a  still  impure  condition  by  evaporating 
the  liquid,  extracting  the  residue  with  diluted  alcohol,  decolorizing  by 
animal  charcoal,  and  agitating  with  ether,  which  on  spontaneous  evap- 
oration yields  a  brown,  translucent  and  brittle  substance,  having  a  bitter 
and  acrid  taste.  It  is  soluble  in  alkalies,  water,  diluted  and  strong 
alcohol,  assumes  with  warm  sulphuric  acid  a  rose  color,  changing  to 
purple,  and  finally  violet. 
Cypriped'ium  acaulc^  Lin.  Bv  H.  Northam  Bryan,  Ph.  G. — The 
attention  of  the  author  was  attracted  to  this  plant  from  observing  per- 
sons engaged  in  collecting  its  subterraneous  portion,  and,  upon  inquiry, 
being  informed  that  it  was  to  be  used  as  an  emmenagogue  5  afterwards, 
the  effects  of  this  rhizome  with  rootlets  were  observed,  tested  in  sev- 
eral instances  with  apparent  success.  The  drug,  when  fresh,  has  a 
rather  strong  and  heavy  odor  and  a  bitter  taste,  and  in  the  dry  state  is 
of  a  dark-brown  color. 
Only  a  limited  quantity  of  the  material  could  be  procured  for  exper- 
imental purposes,  from  the  results  of  which  it  appears  that  it  yields,  on 
distillation  with  water,  a  minute  quantity  of  volatile  oil  \  to  carbon 
bisulphide  and  to  alcohol,  some  resinous  matter,  which  is  wholly  sol- 
uble in  ether,  and  to  ether  about  ten  per  cent,  of  solid  matter,  which 
