4 
216 T.G. Wormley on the Chemical Reactions of Strychnia. 
Art. XXIV.—WNotes on some of the Chemical Reactions of Strych- 
ia; by T. G. Wormuey, M.D. 
1. Ammonia Test. 
1. yds grain of pure strychnia in one grain of water, gives 
with ammonia, an immediate white precipitate, which at first 1s 
amorphous, but very soon it begins to assume a crystalline form, 
and in about three minutes the drop becomes a solid mass 0 
lengthened prisms. 
. 35 gives an immediate precipitate, but in a few seconds 
beautiful stellate crystals begin to form, which very soon become 
abundant. 
. tasz, behaves much the same as No. 2, not so abundant. 
4. 5;'57, with the microscope, crystals begin to form in about 
a minute, in three minutes they are very obvious to the naked 
eye. If the drop be rubbed with a glass rod, rings of granules 
are very obvious to the eye in a few seconds, and the precip 
tate is much more abundant than when not thus treated. 
5. szs5, nO indications after stirring for several minutes, €X 
cept when viewed with the microscope, a few granules appeal. 
From the above experiments, the limit of the ammonia test, 
when applied to a single drop, is when it holds in solution g:'s 
its weight of strychnia; however, at this degree of solution the 
- . 
result is yery satisfactory. _ 
2. Potash. : 
This reagent behaves much the same as ammonia, its limit 
being about the same. In applying this test it is important that 
the proper quantity be added, for if either too much or to little, 
no precipitate will be produced. 
3. Carbonate of Potash. 
1. ;3, grain of strychnia with carbonate of potash gives an 
immediate white precipitate of star-like crystals, which will re- 
dissolve if sufficient quantity of the reagent has not been added. 
