ly, distilled with potassa, the alkaline distillate neu- 

 tralized with hydrochloric acid, and a precipitate could 

 now he obtained with chloride of platinum. Want of materi- 

 al prevented further experiments." 



The editor of the American Journal of Pharmacy inserts 

 the folloT/ing note: "It would have been more satisfactory 

 if the author had given some physiological evidence of the 

 poisonous nature of the alkaloid substance obtained. It 

 is quite interesting to hear that the hitherto intangible 

 venom of this plant has at last been detected." 



1 

 Work of Mais oh . 



The next investigation of this plant was made by Kaisch 

 in 1864. He criticizes Khittel's experiments as follows: 

 "It is well known that the exhalations of Rhus to xicodendron 

 exert a poisonous influence on the human body; the poison- 

 ous principle must, therefore, be volatile and, at the same 

 time, be naturally in such a loose state of combination as 

 to be continually eliminatr^d and separated with the usual 

 products of vegetable exhJllations. It is natural to sup- 

 pose that during the process of drying, the greatest portion 

 of the poisonous principle should be lost. The loss must 

 be still greater if the dried leaves are powdered, a hot in- 

 fasion prepared from them, and this infusion evaporated 



Proc. Amer. Pherm. Assn. 1865, p. 166, and Amer. Jour, 

 Pharm. 1866, p. 4. 



-IE- 



