1886.] PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 439 



alkaloids is Still capable of yielding an acid infusion, which is decidedly 

 fluorescent, but does not reveal the presence of alkaloids by the addi- 

 tion of alkali.) 



(3) Sodium hydrate is now added to the acid liquor until distinctly 

 alkaline, IS''*' chloroform next added, and the contents of the flask 

 thoroughly agitated. After the chloroform has all settled to the bot- 

 tom, the supernatant liquid is decanted and the chlorotormic solution 

 of the alkaloids transferred to a filter wetted with water. The decanted 

 liquid is again treated twice with chloroform, using 10'=*' each time, and 

 the resulting alkaloidal solutions added to the above filter. As soon as 

 all the aqueous fluid has filtered through, the filter is broken and its 

 contents allowed to filter through a filter wetted with chloroform into a 

 tarred flask; this is placed on a water-bath and the contents evaporated 

 unril the flask ceases to lose weight. This weight, plus the weight of 

 the alkaloids obtained from the alkaline washings of No. 1, multiplied 

 by 20, gives the percentage of total alkaloids. 



(4) The amount of ether soluble alkaloids is obtained by treating 

 these two residues with 30 times their weight of ether, filtering, evapo- 

 rating, and multiplying the \( eight of the residue by 20. 



