VOLATILE OIL OF GAULTHERIA PROCUMBENS. 221 
are not changed. The addition of a strong acid decomposes 
these salts ; their acid being precipitated in a crystalline 
form. 
When the salts of potassa or lead are suddenly heated they 
fulminate, and leave a black carbonaceous residue. This fea- 
ture characterises the salts of nitrosaliculic acid. 
When oil of gaultheria is dropped into fuming nitric acid, 
a violent reaction takes place; the mixture becomes very hot, 
and much nitrous acid is given off. A deep orange colored 
substance is formed, with a resinous aspect, which is deposited 
in yellow scales, from its hot alcoholic solution by cooling. 
This substance has a very bitter disagreeable taste, and a pe- 
culiar odor. It dissolves in potassa, forming a yellow solu- 
tion, but is not precipitated when the alkali is saturated with 
an acid. 
In conclusion it may be observed, that the foregoing ob- 
servations prove that the oil of Gaultheria procumbens is a 
hydracid, forming salts with bases, and compounds with chlo- : 
rine, bromine, and iodine, like saliculous acid ; but, at the 
same time, it exhibits differences in its reactions which ren- 
der the identity of the two substances improbable. The only 
means of settling this question definitely is, to subject the oil 
and its compounds, to rigid ultimate analysis, which the want 
of accurate instruments has caused the author to defer to a fu- 
ture period. 
