down to the original weight of the dried leaves. It is 

 obTious that Dr. Khittel could not have selected a tetter 

 method for obtaining the least possible quantity of the 

 poisonous principle, if, inffeed, it could be obtained by 

 this process at all." 



Maisch then worked up 8-3/4 oz, of the leaves of the 

 plant in a way to get the alkaloid, making some Improvements 

 on Khittel»s method, but failed to find it. Believing that 

 the poison was a volatile acid, he enclosed some fresh leaves 

 of the plant in a tin box with several test papers. The 

 blue litmus paper became red showing the presence of an acid. 

 He concluded from this experiment that the exhalations of 

 the leaves contained a volatile organic acid which he thought 

 was the poisonous substance. To determine this point, he 

 prepared the acid in larger quantity by macerating the leaves 

 with water, expressing and distilling the expressed Juice. 

 He was poisoned in doing this work although he had not been 

 affected by handling the living plant and had considered him- 

 self immune. He obtained an acid which investigation showed 

 to be somewhat like formic acid, more like acetic acid, but 

 having some reactions different from both. "Taking all 

 the reactions together, it is unquestionably a new organic 

 acid for which I propose the name of Toxicodendric Ac id ." 

 writes Maisch. He farther says: "That it is the principle 

 to which poison oak owes its effects on the human system 



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