PROXIMATE  PRINCIPLE  FROM  SANGUINARIA  CANADENSIS.  521 
became  evident  that  the  globules  were  reduced  lead,  and  that  a 
portion  of  them  had  become  amalgamated  with  the  foil. 
A  larger  portion  was  then  placed  upon  charcoal  and  ignited, 
and  the  reduced  metal  dissolved  in  nitric  acid,  and  tested  for 
copper,  tin,  and  lead.    Lead  only  was  found. 
Another  portion  was  heated  in  a  glass  tube,  and  the  fumes 
condensed  in  the  cool  portion.  It  had  a  slight  sassafras  odor, 
and  was  acid  to  test  paper.    It  was  evidently  a  pyro-product. 
It  is  evident,  from  the  above,  that  sassafras  oil  has  the  pro- 
perty of  forming  a  compound  with  lead.  The  question  now  arises, 
from  whence  came  it  ?  Did  it  come  from  the  apparatus  that  oil 
was  prepared  in,  or  did  it  take  it  from  the  original  tin  can,  (from 
the  solder)? 
Upon  examining  the  copper  can,  the  joint  near  the  top  con- 
tains a  large  portion  of  lead  solder,  exposed  to  the  action  of  the 
oil.  In  the  tin  can  the  solder  is  upon  the  outside  ;  and,  as  the 
oil  was  not  colored  in  the  tin  can,  the  inferences  are,  that  the 
lead  was  obtained  from  the  joint  in  the  copper  can,  which  com- 
pound was  insoluble  in  the  oil  itself,  and  was  suspended  in  it, 
causing  the  dark  color. 
The  oil  filtered  from  the  precipitate  I  have  not  examined  as 
to  whether  any  change  had  taken  place  in  it,  merely  testing  it 
for  the  presence  of  copper. 
ON  A  NEW  PROXIMATE  PRINCIPLE  FROM  THE  SANGUINARIA 
CANADENSIS. 
By  Edward  S.  Wayne. 
The  Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  it  is  well  known,  contains  an 
alkaloid,  sanguinarina,  identical,  in  its  ultimate  analysis,  with 
chelery thrin,  the  alkaloid  of  the  Chelidonium  majus,  and  form- 
ing like  it  red  salts  with  acids,  and  possessing  very  acrid  nar- 
cotic properties. 
The  Chelidonium  has  been  very  accurately  examined,  as  to 
its  proximate  principles,  but  the  Sanguinaria,  I  believe,  has 
been  investigated  no  further  than  the  obtaining  of  its  alkaloid. 
I  was  led  into  some  further  investigation  of  this  substance  acci- 
dentally. Having  occasion  to  prepare  a  quantity  of  its  basic 
principle,  I  adopted  the  process  for  its  extraction  published  by 
