AKEB TUBA. 
21 
The first effects tjf tlie jioiftuu \l tisL mv l*> cause it to make 
viiileiit efforts to oseaiH', jmuidng out of t\w water, iiipiilly swim- 
luiiij^ alwjui, etc. T1r?u tlie bix'atliiuf^ Ixjcomes liib^jured and tlicrc 
is a slugj^ishness and uucertaiutv of movtMueiit; thv next svuiji- 
tom is au iucrexsintr iualiility t^> maiutain tlie ordinary positiou; 
then tlie fiBlj tiuiis on it« hsick, rist's to the surface, anil the liivatk- 
iuf^ becomes skiwer aud fuially ceases, Wheu fish have ixuiehed 
the stage of tunuug oii tlieij- backs aud risiutf tt* the su]*facc, they 
will, if put iut^> Ei\*s!i water, slowly iVYive, aud after the lapse of 
avmti houi'!4 a[)iMmr little, if any, the .wor«e fi>r the cxperiuieut. 
1 have thrt^j times |KJisoued a iigh, allowing intATvals for it to 
revive ; and it has hved in an iiqiiariuui for days or even weeks 
afterwards. 
The poisouuuji priiiciide is nut, iia might lie exjiectttl, an 
alkaloid. I at first trial the usual uietbodB for separaiing liie.se 
substiinees, but the lesidues from the exhaustion of both acid and 
alkaline aqueous solutions by ether and irhlorofonn did uot 
possess toxic effects. After mauy experiments I foinid that the 
poisonous principle, for w^hich I propose the name '* tubain,"* is 
a very brittlCf reddish-browu coloiU'ed. resinous substance, quite 
iusolvdde in water, parafKu oil. and lienziuc, but soluble in alcohol, 
ether and chloroform. It has a specitie p-avity of l'l(>t>2 ; is dis- 
solved by nitric iu*id, fonninj; a briLfht dnigon's-blood red soki- 
tiouj and is unacted on by sfrou^^ boiling solution of carbonate 
o£ soda- When heated in a glass tidH?s it melts, boils, aud then 
car^K>m^!es, a brown-ctdomvd oil condeustiig ou the cool part of 
the tube. It binns with u large snu jky flame, leaving a cpiantity 
o£ carbonaceous aah. Fractional distillation aud other mesms 
woidd perbups Va-cak ujj the resju int-f) several distinct 8ul)stiiucMBB, 
oidy one of which may Ik* the virident body ; liui my very limitt^i 
lal>onttory a|iplianee8 prevent me frijm carrying on the investiga- 
titjn further than I have done; and I must leave to others the 
fm-thcr ivtjrking out of the aubjwtt. 
Tubaui is most, convemently preiiared by crushing up the 
choiJj>ed rm)t and digesting it, with little beat, for some hours in 
alcohol acidulated with hytlrochloric aeid, filteriug and evapora- 
ting on a water-b:ith at a low tempemture until a gummy sub- 
stance separat<'s, Wbeu aM the spirit has evaporated and waier 
ouly remains, the tubain may l<e removetj and i>ressed hiU* a mass. 
This can then Ix' washed by kneading in hot water ami f mi her 
• Tho Editor i>f tho Pfuinnaceniieal Joumttl mys in a. note : Mr, 
Wnty fip|ic'iirs( to Ijuvt? wtii-kcil in ifjiiomuce tjf Mr. Hrcislioff's rlijucovery of 
" di ■ vv i( I 8c't' ritiu ui, Jtiurtwl {H) XXL. p\i. B'jU- .IGU. " I k u nil w a < tf 
it, but I st'])^^^^'!! tubiiiji iiewHy live yoara iijfo, lUui u iaiitiii>k' of Lite [Kjiaoii 
has been exhibited uoder that name in the I'enik iluswvuji since MarcU, 
1888- 
