228 P. Briihl — On the Besin of Cannabis indica. [Nov. 



physiological effects of ganja might be due to the presence of an 

 alkaloid. Dragendorff,* in dealing with the opium alkaloids, remarks 

 that our knowledge of the active principles of Cannabis indica can 

 hardly be said to be complete, and states that at his suggestion Mr. 

 Masig examined Hashish and Herba Cannabis indica for alkaloids 

 without any positive result. I have performed three collateral series 

 of experiments in order to ascertain whether traces of an alkaloid can 

 be detected in tolerably fresh ganja. The available ganja was 

 divided into three portions ; the one was macerated for about seven 

 hours in dilute acetic acid (2 cc. of glacial acetic acid to 98 cc, of 

 water) ; the other two were digested twice with very dilute sulphuric 

 acid at a temperature of from 40° to 50° C for about three hours each 

 time, and the brown liquid was filtered after pressing out the ganja. 

 To one of these two portions four times its own volume of absolute 

 alcohol was added ; the other was concentrated by being heated to 

 about 50° C for some hours, while a current of dry air was passed 

 through it ; and after concentration it was mixed with four times its 

 own volume of absolute alcohol. On addition of the alcohol the liquid 

 became turbid and a sediment was soon formed. After standing for 

 36 hours the liquid was cooled by means of a refrigerating mixture 

 and filtered. The course pursued further on was, on the whole, that 

 recommended by Dragendorf£,f excepting that the petroleum-naphtha 

 at my disposal, having its boiling-point above 70° C, could not be 

 used for the purpose. The results of the three series of experiments 

 were identical. The benzene extract from the acid solutions left a 

 yellow, oily, strongly smelling residue, when evaporated on watch- 

 glasses ; the oily liquid, when gently heated, lost its disagreeable smell, 

 being at the same time converted into a soft resinous substance ; it 

 consisted therefore of a mixture of the essential oil and the resin of 

 ganja, which was already proved by Martins to be slightly soluble 

 in dilute acids. The acid chloroform extracts yielded some long and 

 slender, colourless, microscopical crystals, but in too small a quantity 

 to allow of their identification ; on applying the usual tests, however, 

 it was easy to prove the absence of any distinct alkaloidal reaction. 

 On addition of ammonia to the acid solution, after having been agitated 

 once more with benzene, a slight precipitate was formed, which was 

 seen under the microscope to consist of stellar groups of badly developed 

 crystals, which did not react like alkaloids. Neither the benzene and 

 chloroform, nor the amylic alcohol and the last chloroform extracts 



* Dragendorff, Die gerichtlich-chemisclie Ausmittlung von Giften, 2nd ed., 

 page 240. 



f Loc. cit., pages 141 — 153. 



