GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 17 



essential element or principle called Nicotina, with the 

 formula C^ H"* N^. These proportions of carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and azote, really tell to the analyst nothing from 

 which he could predicate any thing certain as to the 

 character of the compound. In this respect, all the 

 formulae of organic substances are nearly under the 

 same mystery; a small difference in the proportions 

 producing the greatest difference in the combined re- 

 sults. But we can be under no mistake as to the char- 

 acter of the element which is called Nicotina — a color- 

 less liquid alkaloid, with an acrid, burning taste. It is 

 one of the most intense of all poisons, approaching in its 

 activity the strongest preparation of prussic acid. 



6. The other important element procured from the 

 analysis of tobacco, is an oil called nicotianin, supposed 

 to be "the juice of cursed hebanon" referred to in 

 Hamlei; this is the poet's formula; the chemist's is 

 C"H"0^; but if the latter did not know from actual 

 experience the deadly power of the substance, he would 

 have a small chance of arriving at it by any analogy 

 between formulae. As this oily substance is also a very 

 intense ^poison, differing essentially from the alkaloid, 

 and indeed it is supposed capable of acting on different 

 vital organs, we have thus in tobacco two poisons — 

 rather a remarkable fact in organic chemistry, where we 

 find, generally, only one very active principle at the 

 base of any particular production in the vegetable king- 

 dom. It is indeed asserted by Landerer, that there is 

 none of this deadly oil in the fresh leaves of tobacco ; 

 and Mr. Pereira remarks, that the substance must be 

 developed in the drying of the leaves under the infli> 



