334 VRTICACEM. 



caused tetanus in frogs in exactly the same manner as strychnia, 

 increasing the excitability of the reflex centres of the 

 spinal cord. It did not give a violet colour with sulphuric acid 

 and bichromate of potash. It was, therefore, although similar 

 in action to strychnia, not chemically identical with it. A 

 solution of it in water was precipitated by the various alkaloidal 

 precipitants, platinic chloride, iodide of potassium and mercuiy, 

 phosphotungstate of soda, phosphomolybdic acid, phospho- 

 wolfraniic acid, &c. Although I obtained the alkaloid from 

 1 kilo, of cannabis, yet the quantity of it was so small that 

 it was insufficient for an elementary analysis. 



To this alkaloid I propose to give the name of tetano-canna" 



<i 



bine, as indicative of its action." 



The Tannate of Cannabin of Merck {Phann. Jour.y xiii., 



p. 1052), a glucoside contained in Indian hemp^ which he has 



combined wath tannin, is a yellowish-brown powder, with a 



taste of tannin, and a rather agreeable odour ; it is insoluble in 



water and ether, and only slightly soluble in alcohol ; in 



alkaline solutions it dissolves readily. This substance is said 



to be free from any admixture of the volatile alkaloid of 



Cannabis indica, not to produce intoxication, and to be useful 



as a hypnotic; it is said not to derange the digestivre and 



secretory organs like opium, and to be especially valuable in 



irritable states of the nervous system, but Dr. H. C Wood has 



found it to be inert physiologically. Warden and Waddell of 



Calcutta, although operating on a large quantity of Indian 



hemp of ascertained activity, were unable to find any evidence 



of the existence of such a piineiple as Dr. Hay describes. 



They further remark that :— " As many of those addicted to 



the Hashish form of intemperance obtain the intoxicating 



effects by smoking the plant in a pipe, it is to be expected 



that destructive distillation of the freshly prepai^ed resin might 



yield up the active principle. This process was therefore 



resorted to. By the destructive distillation of freshly prepared 



alcoholic extract of the plant to which an excess of caustic 



potash solution had been added, an amber-coloured oil was 



obtained, which, by exposure to the air or the action of alkalies, 



