g54 f NAI^YStS Of TOBACCO. 



a little wat^r. The new product, which we obtained in 4b|ffr 

 operation, had the smell of tobacco saioke, was extremply 

 aciid, and produced a similar sensation to that occasioned 

 by a pinch of snuff taken with such force as to get into th^ 

 throat. 



New product. As this product was alkaline, we suspected, that thi* 

 principle, whatever it might be, was rendered volatile only 

 by means of ammonia, arising from the decomposition of an 

 ammoniacal salt in the tobacco ; since, when the liquor con-* 

 tained an excess of acid, we did not obtain the same result. 

 Powever, in a simiUir process, conducted it is true with dry 

 tobacco, we obtained a product, the smell and taste of which 

 were at least equally striking, though the liquor that yielded 

 -^ it contained a free acid. For the i^t, we were never able 

 perfectly to isolate this acrid substanc^, and even the greater 

 part remained in the retort. Hence it appears, that the 

 Italic acid diminishes the volatility of this acrid principle. 



Attempt to In order to obtain this principle separatelj', we evaporated, 



m" "^ ' *^^'^* ^y * ^'^^y g^"t'^ J^^^t, the liquor it contained, and treated 

 it with alcohol at 40" [0*817], which in fact separated it from 

 the other matters. On afterward evaporating the alcohol, 

 we remaiked at the surface of the liquid some traces of a 

 brown oil ; and the portion that distilled ov^r became more 

 .and more acrid, as the process approached its conclusion. 

 This nearly solid oil, \vhen thrown on burning coals, emit- 

 ted a thick smoke, and such a strong smell of tobs^cco, that 

 it was insupportable. . . : j, -^'t 



Nitrate of pot- The alcoholic solution yielded on cooling soQi? pjitir^^f^^f' 

 potash, i, , r 



The acrid The acrid princi pi? in question has little snaell when dis-r^ 



pnncip e. solved in water ; which shows, that it is not very volatile, 

 Jtjvppears very difBcult to destroy ; for, if it be mixed with 

 a pretty large quantity of oximuriatic acid, it still retains {jlL 

 its acrimony, after the acid has evaporated spontaneously. 



Probably p3- The peculiar degree of volatility and acrid taste of this 

 substance seem to indicate, that it is a principle belonging: 

 exclusively to the genus nicotiana ; and which is conse- 

 quently neWj since those chemists, who have analysed thi%' 

 plant> have not spoken of it, at least as far as we kppw. ,; t 



Not produced flepce we ujiiy qori9ljude> that this principle, which, i^ 

 ' found 



culiar to 

 tobacco, 



artiiicially. 



