RANUNCULACEH.” — 5 
actives, tradutt par Morel, p. 13. The following extracts are | 
made from the last-named work :— 
“The tubers known as Bish, which have for some time been 
- met with in, commerce, contain an alkaloid, which, in its 
_ chemical reactions, presents a close analogy. with aconitine. 
I find that the alkaloid of.Bish, which has been called nepaline — 
and. -pseudo-aconitine, can be quantitatively determined by the 
_ Same process as aconitine, and that it gives the same reactions 
as that alkaloid, I may mention as a distinguishing character 
. Of this alkaloid, its, greater solubility in boiling water and its — 
' being less ‘soluble in ether and chloroform. I may, perhaps, 
| also mention that unlike the aconitine of Duquesnel, nepaline 5 
_ preparéd by the same process is not precipitated by cliloride 
_ of platinum. Nepaline can be estimated by means of Mayer’s — 
_ solution, one ¢.c. corresponding to 0° 0388 grammes of the alka- . 
— loid ; I have obtained from farinaceous ‘Bink extracted by water. . 
Aa: 81 and 1-82 per cent. and extracted by alcohol 1:15 and 1-04 . 
of nepaline. If. the action of the alcohol iene 5 
or several days, a better result is obtained.” a 
_ One litre of Mayer’s solutions contains 13° 546 orm, of per- 
_ chloride of mercury and 49°8 of iodide of~potassium. Its 
action is based upon the formation of a double iodide of the — 
alkaloid very sparingly soluble in water, and composed « of 1 eq. 
_ Of iodide of aconitine and } eq. of biniodide of mercury. 3 
According to Wright and Luff, the formula for aconitia is 
4 eee H** NO??, and for pseudo-aconitine C55 H*9 NO!2 
_F. Mandelin (Archiv. der Pharm., February and Wick ries; 
_ gives the following as the conclasiees he arrives at after a o 
_ thorough investigation of the subject of aconitine:— oe 
1. Japaconitine is. identical with aconitine, and both are eo : 
. identical with a crystalline benzoylaconine. 
2. Benzoylaconine is the only aetive principle of tae 
Vapellus, the other alkaloids -contained in the ee being 
as and eae eae Sampo “ 
