239 



similar to conia. It was soluble in alcohol, but insoluble in both ether and 

 chloroform. The alcoholic solution of this oily substance and white alkaloid 

 possessed very energetic properties, — an all but inappreciable quantity bringing 

 on, almost immediately, a very distressing suffocating sensation, and an 

 unpleasant feeling of roughness and insensibility of the palate. Not any of 

 the fragrant oil was found. 



Respecting the opinion that the oily-looking fluid is a liquid alkaloid, and 

 at least holds in solution a salt (supposed alkaloid), the following may tend a 

 little to uphold it. 



It is very remai-kable that this oily fluid is perfectly insoluble both in ether 

 and chloroform, and soluble in alcohol and a mixture of alcohol and water ; 

 and whatever the poisonous principle or principles may be, that slacked lime 

 made into a thin cream with water instantly destroys it or them, with or 

 accompanied by the evolution of ammoniacal vapou.r. The fragrant oil is 

 soluble in ether and chloroform, and I imagine it to possess emetic properties 

 only, as will be seen when treating of the antidote. 



Moreover, a portion of alcoholic extract was mixed with distilled water 

 introduced into a pint retort^ and heated in an oil bath. The extract was 

 fragrant, and as a consequence, the fragrancy of the essential oil passed over 

 with the first quantity of water as was intended and was removed. When 

 the extract thickened, a good heat being applied (350° to 400° F.), I found 

 snow-white acicular crystals sublimed in a ring all round the neck of the 

 retort, two inches from the stopper. Watching how they formed, I saw drops 

 of oily fluid, of an olive-green colour (the same oil apparently as that before 

 mentioned), settling very curiously (as drops, I suppose owing to the repulsion 

 of the glass from the high temperature employed, and the low degree of 

 volatility of this oil), on the neck of the retort, which being very hot, these 

 drops, as they slowly volatilized, left snow-white acicular crystals, and similarly 

 to those before mentioned, extremely deliquescent, and very soluble in alcohol. 

 Some were preserved, mounted, and examined with the microscope, and I 

 thought they were oblique rectangular prisms. As far as I was able to judge, 

 these were exactly similar to those before described as having been lost. 

 I imagine that the charring of the first ones, and the extreme deliquescence of 

 these, altogether set aside the opinion of their being ammonium chloride, which 

 was suggested to me by Mr. Skey. The crystals taken from the neck of the retort 

 gave precipitates with the iodide of mercury and tannic acid respectively. An 

 unused portion of the extract experimented upon, was treated with slacked 

 lime (it was the first time that slacked lime was used), when strong ammoniacal 

 vapour was discharged, and the extract became a solid mass. Suspecting the 

 alkaloid, or whatever it was, to be destroyed, just as anticipated, although great 

 and unusual care was used towards isolating the various principles, yet not a 

 trace of anything was found, as was the case with the other portion subjected 



