THE ALUMNI JOURNAL, 



259 



ize and hence determine both acids com- 

 bined, and then by subtracting the 

 weight of benzoic acid actually weighed, 

 as given above, the amount of acetic 

 acid would be determined. This is cor- 

 rect in theory, but does not work in 

 practice, which may be due to certain ad- 

 ditional alkaloids present as impurities 

 or to a more deep seated change in the 

 molecule due to the action of the potas- 

 sium hydroxide. The results : 



I- Aconitine taken 0.519 gm. ; added 

 15 cc. alcoholic potash (10 cc. of which 

 represent 20.4 cc. decinormal sulphuric 

 acid) ; diluted with alcohol. There 

 were required 22.41 cc. decinormal sul- 

 phuric acid to neutralize the excess of 

 alkali, These 22.41 cc. = 11.98CC. pot- 

 ash solution. Hence 15 — 11.98=4.02 

 cc. potash solution were used to saponify 

 the aconitine taken. These 4.02 cc. potash 

 solutions represent 0.04796 gm. KOH- 

 The benzoic acid formed during the sa- 

 ponification was filtered off and weighed 

 and found to weigh 0.060 gm., and re- 

 quired for saponification 0.0273 gm. 

 KOH. Hence for saponification of the 

 acetic acid are required 0.04796 — 0.0273 

 gm . =0. 02066 gm. KO H, equivalent to 



'molecular ") 

 645 weight J x 0.02066 

 v aconitine J 



56 

 0.238 gm. pure aconitine ; 

 whence 0.519 gm. : 0.238 gm. = 100 : 

 x and x = 40 3 per cent, pure aconitine. 



II. Took 0.791 gm. aconitine, and by 

 similar process to above found 76.3 per 

 cent, pure aconitine. 



III. Took 0.4365 gin aconitine, and 

 by similar process to above found 139.8 

 per cent, pure aconitine. 



IV. Took 0.398 gm. aconitine, and by 

 similar process to above found 41.3 per 

 cent, pure aconitine. 



V. Took 0.4135 gm. aconitine, and by 



similar process to above found 144.6 per 

 cent, pure aconitine. 



VI. Took o. 5680 gm. aconitine, and by 

 similar process to above found 143.8 per 

 cent, pure aconitine. 



These results, deduced from the 

 amount of acetic acid neutralized by the 

 standardized alcoholic potash solution 

 just given, show conclusively that this 

 is not a reliable method of assay, for 

 every sample examined was tested and 

 found not to react acid to litmus, thus 

 precluding the possibility of there being 

 any free acid present to neutralize any of 

 the potash and increase the percentage 

 of acetic acid, i. e. , of aconitine present. 

 The benzoic acid method also is unreli- 

 able, as it is not probable that sample 

 IV., which melts at 83-97 C (while 

 pure aconitine crystals melt at 197-198 

 C ) should contain as much as 77 per 

 cent, of pure aconitine, and besides ben- 

 zoic acid being volatile, some of it may 

 escape by sublimation while being dried. 

 From the results obtained the following 

 conclusions may be drawn : 



I. That none of the aconitines of the 

 market examined are pure aconitine of 

 melting point 197-1Q8 C. (Freund.) 



II. That no two of them are the same. 



III. That no two can be regarded as 

 sufficiently alike to enable a physician 

 prescribing them to expect the same re- 

 sults from the same prescription com- 

 pounded at different pharmacies, or at 

 any rate of aconitines of different makes. 



IV. That in no case can the physician 

 expect to get the therapeutic effects of 

 pure aconitine. 



V. That sample I probably contains 

 pseudaconitine principle ; that sample II 

 probably contains apoaconitine principal- 

 ly ; that sample III probably contains 

 apoaconitine and some aconitine; that 

 sample IV probably contains either a dif- 

 ferent substance from any above enumer- 

 ated as existing in aconite root, or a de- 



