226 P. Briihl— On the Resin of Cannabis indica. [Nov. 



indicae spirituosum, and found it easily soluble in alcohol, ether, and 

 essential oils, but only little soluble in dilute solutions of alkalis and 

 acids. I have prepared a small quantity of the resin according to 

 Martins' method ; but I find that the latter is liable to entail some loss. 



Physical properties. — As many resinous substances have been proved 

 to be mixtures of several resins by the judicious use of different solvents, 

 I have studied the action of different solvents on the resin of Cannabis 

 indica, and I have found it soluble in carbon disulphide, methylic, 

 ethylic, butyric, and amylic alcohols, in acetic, benzoic, and cenanthic 

 ethers, further in methylnitrate, trichloronitromethane, ethene di- 

 chloride, ether, oil of turpentine, benzene, toluene, and naphthalene 

 dichloride. In all these liquids the resin dissolves easily and com- 

 pletely with the formation of brown solutions. It appears from these 

 experiments that the pure resin of Cannabis indica, that is to say, the 

 resinous substance remaining after the removal of colouring matters 

 and essential oils, must be regarded as a homogeneous substance. 



As in the case of other resius, an emulsion is formed when water is 

 added to the alcoholic solution. Whilst, however, ether completely ex- 

 tracts the resin when shaken up with this emulsion ; benzene, toluene, and 

 mineral naphtha are not able to do so. A convenient mode of preparing the 

 resin in a state of purity might, perhaps, be based on this observation. 



Martins describes the taste of the resin as extremely bitter. I find 

 that if taken in small lumps, especially after treating it for a length 

 of time with boiling water, it appears at first to be nearly tasteless, 

 but produces afterwards a grating sensation in the throat. If, however, 

 swallowed in a state of fine subdivision, which can be obtained by one 

 or two drops of the alcoholic solution being poured into say twenty 

 cubic centimeters of water ; or when evaporated in alcoholic solution 

 with milk-sugar under constant stirring, it is very bitter indeed and 

 leaves a peculiarly nasty after-taste. 



If ganja be cohobated with alcohol, the distillate, especially that 

 obtained on heating the substance with alcohol to the boiling point 

 of the latter in a retort connected with a Liebig's condenser and a 

 receiver and allowing it to stand for some time when only a small quan- 

 tity of alcohol passes over, is of a greenish colour and has a nauseous 

 odour. The aqueous and dilute sulphuric acid extracts of ganja also 

 have a sickening smell, especially when allowed to stand for a short 

 time. This smell is evidently due to the volatile oil contained in ganja, 

 which was found by Personne to consist of two hydrocarbons, called by 

 him Cannabene and Cannabene hydride respectively, the latter being 

 a crystallizable solid, whilst the former is a colourless liquid, causing 

 giddiness and headache. According to Martins, ' the narcotic effects 



