202 
ON  GELSEMINUM  SEMPERVIRENS. 
The  portion  taken  up  by  the  alcohol  evaporated  to  dryness, 
yielding  a  garnet  colored  extract  of  intense  bitterness,  far  sur- 
passing that  of  the  other  half.  It  dissolves  readily  in  cold 
water. 
One  hundred  grains  of  the  aqueous  extract  were  dissolved  in 
four  fluidounces  of  water,  and  the  solution  treated  with  the  solu- 
tion of  the  subacetate  of  lead,  until  it  ceased  to  produce  a  pre- 
cipitate. This  was  separated  by  filtration,  and  the  liquid  portion 
submitted  to  a  stream  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  to  eliminate  the 
lead.  The  supernatant  liquor  wa3  then  evaporated  to  dryness, 
in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  excess  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  the 
acetic  acid  left  by  the  decomposition  of  the  salt  of  lead.  The 
extract  thus  obtained,  treated  with  boiling  alcohol  and  filtered 
while  hot,  yielded,  upon  cooling,  a  small  quantity  of  crystals, 
similar  in  appearance  to  the  sulphate  of  quinine,  and  having  a 
very  bitter  taste.  These  crystals,  which  I  will  call  Acetate  of 
G-elseminia,  were  in  too  small  a  quantity  for  me  to  examine  as  I 
wished,  nor  as  I  would  have  done  had  there  been  a  larger 
quantity. 
An  alcoholic  extract  was  made  from  the  powdered  root  in  a 
displacement  apparatus  with  alcohol  .809°.  The  product  was  of 
a  brownish  color,  translucent  in  thin  lamina,  and  of  an  intensely 
bitter  taste. 
Investigation  of  the  Alcoholic  Extract. — One  hundred  grains 
of  the  alcoholic  extract  were  treated  with  half  an  ounce  of  dis- 
tilled water,  acidulated  with  acetic  acid,  and  heated  to  about 
100p  F.,  a  little  animal  charcoal  being  added.  To  the  liquor, 
filtered  and  partially  neutralized  by  ammonia,  a  fresh  concen- 
trated infusion  of  galls  was  gradually  added,  as  long  as  a  pre- 
cipitate was  produced.  This  precipitate  which  was  tannate  of  gelse- 
minia,  was  obtained  separate  by  decanting  the  liquor ;  this  was 
then  washed  with  distilled  water,  mixed  with  a  little  alcohol,  and 
then  rubbed  in  a  mortar  with  one-third  of  very  finely  powdered 
litharge.  The  mixture  was  heated  gently,  and  submitted  to  the 
action  of  twice  its  volume  of  alcohol  at  about  90°  F.  The  alco- 
holic solution  was  then  treated  with  a  little  animal  charcoal, 
filt  red  and  evaporated  at  a  very  gentle  heat.  The  residuum  was 
act*  d  upon  twice  with  cold  ether,  which  removed  all  impurities, 
and  left  the  gelseminia  in  an  amorphous  state.    I  did  not  succeed 
