URTICACE^. 335 



rapidly became of a dark reddish-brown colour. This oil had a 

 mildly empyreumatic odour, which was distinctly tobacco-like. 

 Its taste was warm, aromatic, and somewhat terebinthinate. 

 The oil contained phenol, ammonia, and several other of the 

 usual products of destructive distillation. 



'^ The nicotine-like principle contained in this oil appeared 

 to be an alkaloid. It formed salts which evolved a strong 

 nicotine-like odour when acted on by alkalies. But physiologi- 

 cally it was found to be inert, and therefore was evidently not 

 identical with nicotine, 



** The oil as a whole was also foimd to be devoid of any narco- 

 tic or irritant qualities. About ^ of an ounce was introduced 

 into the stomach of a cat without producing any sensible 

 effect. These results do not coincide with those of Personne, 

 who asserted that the active principle of the plant resided in 

 the volatile oil It is just possible that the active principle 

 was decomposed by the high temperature necessary for destruc- 

 tive distillation. ''(/^zc/. MecL Gaz,, Dec. 18S4.) 



Kennedy iPharnu Record, vi., p. 304) made a search for 

 nicotine in Indian hemp without success, but obtained indi- 

 cations of the presence of another alkaloid. 



E. Jahns {Archiv, d. Pharm., 1887) reported that he had 

 separated from Indian hemp a base which he has identified as 

 choline, and points out that this result corresponds fairly with 

 the statement of previous workers, except in respect to the crys- 

 tallizability of Dr. Hay's alkaloid and solubility in ether. The 

 quantity of choline obtained by the author from different 

 samples varied considerably, but amounted at the most to 

 only Y*^ per cent. 



H. F. Smith (-4mi?r.Jb20'^.PArtrm., Aug. 1891), bytwoentirely 

 different processes, obtained an alkaloid from Indian hemp, 

 which separated from ethereal solutions in the form of a yellow- 

 ish-green, transparent varnish-like substance. It had a 

 strong, peculiar odour, resembling that of coniine ; was soluble 

 in ether, chloroform^ alcohol, and acidulated water, but only 

 slightly so in water ; was alkaline to test paper and capable of 



