ON SOLANUM DULCAMARA. 
17 
The above was repeated several times with slight variations, 
with similar results. 
Experiment, No. 2. — Repeated No. 1, except f. §i. aqua 
ammonise, fort, was added to the decoction instead of the 
magnesia; this produced a flocculent precipitate; collected 
on a filter, and boiled it in alcohol, fort, for five minutes; the 
alcohol took up most of the precipitate, leaving a small quan- 
tity of a whitish granular powder, which was insoluble in 
alcohol, ether, water, and boiling oils, and perfectly fixed in 
temperatures raised to redness; this evidently was a salt of one 
of the fixed alkaline earths; after decolourising, the alcohol 
poured from off the above powder, was set aside for sponta- 
neous evaporation; but nothing was thrown down, leaving a 
residue similar to experiment No. 1. 
Experiment, No. 3. — -Made a decoction as in No. 1, to 
which was added a solution of subacetate of lead, as long as 
any precipitate was formed. Hydrosulphuric acid was then 
passed through the mixture, as long as precipitation continued; 
filtered and boiled the filtered solution; then added 3iij. of 
magnesia; boiled for five minutes; collected the precipitate 
on a filter; submitted it for five minutes to boiling alcohol, 
fort.; filtered and set it aside; but in the result there was 
nothing satisfactory. 
Experiment, No. 4. — No .1 was repeated, except alcohol as 
the solvent was employed, through the whole process, but no 
trace of an alkali was at all discernible. 
Experiment, No. 5. — A decoction as in No. 1, was made, 
except in using diluted alcohol as a menstruum. In the first 
stage of the process, the results were similar, except the de- 
coctions had, in a much higher degree, the sensible properties 
of the dulcamara, than when either water or alcohol alone 
were employed. From this, it may fairly be asserted, that 
diluted alcohol is the proper solvent for dulcamara. 
I tried a great many processes somewhat similar to the fore- 
going, and in none of them was there the slightest trace of a 
vegetable alkaloid discovered by test or perception. 
In a decoction of dulcamara, a solution of gelatin produces 
VOL. II. — no. i. 3 
