NAT. ORDER. — SOLANACE.B. 179 



Vrater, requiring- 2500 parts of boiling water. The principal character 

 of Stiychnine consists in its forming- neutral salts when united with 

 acids ; these salts are crystallizable, and for the most part soluble, and 

 are much more active than the simple substance : it is therefore thought 

 that when the system is habituated to the action of pure Strychnine, 

 the salts may be substituted without increasing the dose. 



Sulpliate of Strychnine. This salt, if neutral, crystallizes in small 

 transparent rubes, anrl in needles if the acid preponderates ; it is solu- 

 ble in less than ten parts of cold water, and decomposed by every 

 soluble, salifiable basis. It consists of sulphuric acid 9,5, and Strych- 

 nine 90, 5—100. 



Hijdrochlorate of Strychnine. This salt is very soluble, and crys- 

 taUizes in needles, which, viewed through a lens, appear to be quad- 

 rangular prisms ; when exposed to a temperature at whicli the base 

 is decomposable, it gives off muriatic acid. 



JVitrale of Sirychiiine. This salt crystallizes in needles of a 

 pearly aspect ; it is much more soluble in hot than in cold water. It 

 forms a very soluble salt with the oxalic, tartaric and acetic acids, sus- 

 cseplible of crystallization, especially if the acid be in excess. The 

 action of this salt (the nitrate) is more energetic than that of the Strych- 

 tiine itself. 



Phospate of Strychnine — Crystallizes in four-sided prisms, and 

 can only be obtained in a perfectly neutral state by double decompo- 

 sition. 



Sitbcarbonate of Strychnine — Is obtained in the form of white 

 flakes. Boiled with iodine, it fornis an iodale and hydriotlate. 



Remedial Effects, Sfc, of JVux vomica, and its Prpjxiniflons. — 

 M. Mag-endie, having- by a series of exjjeriments a.scertained that tlie 

 whole family of plants of the Strychni amari had the singiilar property 

 of acting- immediately and powerfully on the spinal marrow, without 

 affecting, except indirectly, the functions of tlie brain, though they 

 might be advantageously applied to the treatment of disease. He put 

 his newly discovered remedy boldly to the test, and his conjecture, he 



