54 REPORT — 1856. 



to each drachm of water) with two parts of solution of acetate of strychnia ; or take 

 thirty drops of solution of strychnia diluted with sixty or ninety drops of water ; drop in 

 one minim only of the ferrocyanide of potassium, and agitate the mixture, and an abun- 

 dance of minute yellowish-white crystals of the ferrocyanide of strychnia is formed. 

 Again, lay a little of the dried ferrocyanide of strychnia upon a small portion of pow- 

 dered protosulphate of iron ; drench both with water ; the deep blue of the iron is first 

 shown : add one or two drops of sti-ong sulphuric acid, and then stir in a minute 

 portion of powdered chromate of potash ; x\\e]mrple and violet colour of strychnia at 

 once appears. 



In the ne.xt test, a solution of the ammonio- sulphate of copper is discoloured hy 

 gradually adding a solution of strychnia and by boiling the mixture ; crystals of 

 strychniate of copper with a little ammonia will be formed ; decolorize these when 

 dry, by sulphuric acid ; add chromate of potash ground in by a glass rod, and strychnia 

 ■will be revealed. 



On a New Method of extracting the Alkaloids Strychnia and Bruciafrom 

 Nux Vomica without Alcohol. By John Horsley. 



The usual modes of obtaining strychnia from nux vomica are, besides being more 

 or less expensive owing to the alcohol used, far from satisfactory. This, in a toxico- 

 logical point of view, is particularly the case, on account of the small quantity of 

 strychnia naturally contained in the nut ; and as the production of the alkaloid for its 

 characteristic colour-test is a matter of importance, I have been induced to make 

 several exi^eriments on the different methods in use, and it appears to me that the 

 simplest and best is that which I now propose, viz. to make an acetic extract by 

 kneading up, say a quarter of a pound of nux vomica with an equal quantity of com- 

 mercial acetic acid, and thinning the pulpy mass with two or three pints of cold water, 

 allowing it to digest for a few days. The clear liquor must then be decanted oflP and 

 an equal quantity of fresh water poured on the mass to digest for a day or two longer, 

 or till all soluble matter is extracted. The clear liquor is then to be decanted, and 

 the remainder thrown on a flannel filter. The liquid which passes through should 

 be mixed with the former decanted liquors and evaporated to a syrupy consistence 

 (about three or four ounces). When this is cold, dilute it with an equal quantity of 

 water, add liquor ammonite in excess, and set it by for a day or two that the strychnia 

 may crystallize out, which is known by the various little white tufts which collect 

 within the fluid as well as on the sides of the glass vessel. When the crystallization 

 is complete, the dark green supernatant fluid is to be passed through a calico filter ; 

 and the residuum with the crystals adhering to the vessel collected thereon, must be 

 left to drain; the dark green mass consisting of strychnia and brucia with resinoid 

 matter is next to be scraped otf and well dried in a water-bath, digested in hot diluted 

 acetic acid, and the solution filtered. The strychnia and brucia may be thrown down 

 by potassa, or the strychnia only by the addition of a solution of chromate of potassa, 

 when a chromate of strychnia will be obtained free from brucia provided the solution 

 which retains the brucia be tolerablj' acid. 



This chromate of strychnia being collected on a filter and well drained, can easily 

 be (Zechromatized by digestion in liq. ammonise, and the strychnia obtained of a more 

 or less snowy whiteness. 



The quantity of strychnia actually contained in the nux vomica has not, I believe, 

 been accurately ascertained, at least if I may judge from Professor Taylor's work on 

 Poisons, where that gentleman represents it at about ^f^j or i a grain per cent. I 

 cannot help thinking that the exhaustion in that case must have been but imperfectly 

 performed, as my own experiments show that nearly twice that quantity is capable of 

 being extracted; for in my first concentration of the liquor from a quarter of a pound 

 of nux vomica I obtained as follows : — 



From the 1st concentration 11 grains of strychnia 

 » 2nd „ 4 „ 



» 3rd „ 2 „ 



17 grains. 

 This difference in quantity is necessary to be borne in mind by the medical prac- 

 titioner when prescribing the extract and other preparations of nux vomica. 



