206 
ON  CORYDALIS  FORMOSA. 
specimen  under  examination,  and  mode  of  desiccation.  Its  frac- 
ture is  hard,  rough  and  uneven,  presenting  numerous  glistening 
points.  The  powder  presents  a  brownish  yellow  color,  and  com- 
municates a  harsh  and  starchy  feel,  when  rubbed  or  pressed 
between  the  fingers.  It  has  a  faint  peculiar  odor,  taste  at  first 
slightly  bitter,  succeeded  by  one  peculiarly  persistent  and  some- 
what penetrating,  influencing  the  fauces  and  increasing  the  flow 
of  saliva.    It  yields  its  virtues  to  water  and  alcohol. 
Course  of  Analysis. — The  powdered  root  subjected  to  the 
action  of  sulphuric  ether  in  a  percolator,  until  the  ether  passes 
perfectly  colorless,  formed  a  yellowish  brown  solution,  which  left, 
on  spontaneous  evaporation,  a  brown  black  substance,  having  the 
consistence  of  a  soft  extract,  dissolving  nearly  entirely  in  alcohol. 
This  alcoholic  solution  was  precipitated  by  an  alcoholic  solution  of 
acetate  of  lead,  as  also  by  admixture  with  water,  and  by  evapora- 
tion, left  a  resinous  mass  very  acrid  and  persistent  to  the  taste  and 
aromatic  in  odor.  It  easily  fused  when  heated ;  on  raising  the  heat, 
dense  white  fumes  were  given  off,  and  on  still  further  increasing 
the  temperature  it  took  fire,  burning  with  a  black  smoke,  leaving 
a  light  voluminous  coal. 
II.  The  powder,  after  the  above  exhaustion,  was  again  intro- 
duced into  a  percolator  and  alcohol  ^.825)  poured  into  it.  The 
displaced  liquid  exhibited  a  deep  brownish  yellow  color  and  bitter 
taste.  On  evaporating  in  a  water  bath,  adding  occasionally  water 
to  replace  the  alcohol  volatilized  during  the  process,  a  resinous 
matter  separated  which  was  soluble  in  alcohol,  but  insoluble  in 
ether.  The  liquid  separated  from  the  resin  by  filtration  gave  the 
following  reactions.  Tincture  of  galls,  solutions  of  alkalies  and 
their  carbonates,  gave  precipitates,  which  were  re-dissolved  on  the 
addition  of  acetic  acid,  as  also  in  strong  alcohol.  A  portion  of 
the  washed  precipitate  [by  the  alkaline  solution]  placed  on  litmus 
paper,  previously  reddened  by  extremely  dilute  acetic  acid,  instant- 
ly restored  its  blue  color.  Acetate  of  lead  gave  a  precipitate 
soluble  in  dilute  nitric  acid. 
III.  The  powdered  root  after  the  two  previous  exhaustions 
and  subsequent  drying,  was  now  subjected  to  the  action  of  cold 
water.  The  displaced  liquid  obtained,  possessed  a  brown  color 
and  slight  bitter  taste,  gave  precipitates  with  acetate  of  lead  and 
protochloride  of  tin.    Subacetate  of  lead  gave,  after  the  action 
