BY J. M. PETRI E. 151 



The alkaloid of Nicotiana suaveolens is therefore nicotine. 



For the purpose of comparison, pure nicotine tartrate (B.W.) 

 was decomposed, and the nicotine distilled from it in a current 

 of purified hydrogen gas. It was collected and at once sealed 

 up in the receivers. From this colourless liquid, the nicotine 

 picrate was prepared. 



Toxicity of the plant : — Nicotine is probably the most violent 

 poison known. Wynter Blyth gives the lethal dose for a human 

 adult as about 6 mgs. In Abderhalden's " Biochemisches Hand- 

 lexikon," it is stated that 5 mgs. sufl&ce to kill a medium-sized 

 dog in three minutes. It is evident from these data, taking 

 even the lowest value of nicotine in the above results, that there 

 is enough contained in one half pound of the green plant, to 

 poison an ordinary sized sheep. 



lleferences to the plant as a stock poison : - Of the 80 or more 

 species of Nicotiana, only a few are known to contain nicotine. 

 Nicotiana suaveolens being limited to the Australian continent, 

 the recjords of fatalities are all local. But it is referred to, also, 

 by European authorities, such as DragendorfF in "Die Heilpflan- 

 zen,"(1898) as a poisonous plant; by Greshoff in his " Mono- 

 graphia de plantis venenatis " as poisonous for cattle; and by 

 Pammel ("Poisonous Plants," 1911) as poisonous to stock. It 

 is described by F. M. Bailey, as a stock poison in Queensland, 

 and by Professor Ewart as a feebly poisonous plant in Victoria. 

 Mr. J. H. Maiden states that it is very deadly to all stock, and 

 refers to many instances of poisoning of cattle, sheep, pigs, and 

 rabbits. In his "Plants reputed poisonous to Stock," Mr. 

 Maiden describes a sudden fatality, in 1891, of 300 healthy 

 cattle, travelling on the great stock route through Milparinka. 



Summary. — The results of this paper prove that A'icotiana 

 suaveolens contains the extremely poisonous alkaloid nicotine, 

 and that the nicotine is present in sufficient quantity to poison 

 stock. 



I express my thanks to Professor Sir Thomas Anderson Stuart, 

 in whose laboi'atory the work was done. 



