ON POLYGALA SENEGA. 
93 
Second. The residue, after treatment with ether, was di- 
gested in cold alcohol, by which a portion of whitish matter 
was precipitated. The clear tincture was evaporated to dry- 
ness, [No. 2,] with the intention of dissolving in water for 
further examination: but having noticed in the January num- 
ber of the Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, a 
process for preparing hyoscyamine, and, judging from my 
former experiments, it might answer with senega, I submitted 
the alcoholic extract to some experiments founded on that pro- 
cess. 
1st. The extract of No. 2 was boiled in alcohol; the solu- 
tion by filtering, left nearly half the extract, which was insolu- 
ble in alcohol, of an intensely acrid taste, and nearly colour- 
less. [No. 3.] 
The clear solution was concentrated in a water bath, and 
digested with lime, which was removed, and dilute sulphuric 
acid added in slight excess: the solution still remaining very 
dark, was treated with lime and sulphuric acid as before. 
After the separation of the precipitates, and further concentra- 
tion of the solution, an excess of carbonate of soda in powder 
was added, which, together with the precipitate occasioned by 
it, were pressed from the mother water, and boiled in alcohol 
of 41 degrees Baume; the solution filtered, and the mother 
water treated with boiling ether, which, when filtered, was 
added to the alcoholic solution, both being turbid and of a yel- 
lowish green colour. Lime in powder was added, which pre- 
cipitated some yellow colouring matter, leaving the solution 
green. The lime was separated by the filter, and the solution 
boiled with washed animal charcoal, filtered and. evaporated 
to dryness. The residue was nearly insoluble in cold water, 
partially soluble in alcohol and ether, the residue soluble in 
water, appearing like sugar. The alcoholic solution evapo- 
rated, the residue has a slight acrimony with a sweet taste 
resembling good liquorice; the ether appears to have dissolved 
only some resinous matter. 
2d. The mother water, after treating with ether, still hav- 
ing a somewhat acrid taste, was boiled in alcohol, which dis- 
