463 
of Edinburgh, Session 1868-69. 
probable that the one action is, to a certain extent, antagonistic to 
the other. As the methyl and ethyl derivatives, however, combine 
with the ordinary paralysing action of atropia, an additional amount 
of paralysing action bearing some ratio to the absent spinal stimul- 
ant action of the natural base, these derivatives affect the motor 
nerves much more powerfully than atropia itself. Probably, for these 
reasons, the salts of methyl- and ethyl-atropium are fatal to the 
lower animals in much smaller doses than the salts of atropia itself. 
Paralysis of the vagi nerves and dilatation of the pupil are 
caused by these derivatives of atropia. 
Conia.— The alkaloid prepared from Conium maculatum (hem- 
lock) has been shown by Von Planta and Kekule* to be a variable 
mixture of two bases, to which they give the names of u conia ” and 
“ methyl-conia.” These bases resemble one another very closely in 
physical properties. Their composition is represented by the 
formulas C 8 H 15 N and C 9 H 17 N. The chemists above named investi- 
gated very completely the action of iodide of ethyl on conia, and 
proved that conia (or, as it is called in the present paper, normal 
conia) is an imide base, and that methyl-conia is a nitrile base. 
The substances examined in the present paper are : — 
ls£, Conia— samples of which were obtained from Messrs Duncan 
and Flockhart, Macfarlan & Co., and Morson. The authors are also 
indebted to the kindness of Dr Christison for the opportunity of 
examining the action of a specimen of conia which he prepared in 
the year 1835. 
2d, Methyl-conia — prepared from hydriodate of methyl-conia, 
produced by the union of iodide of methyl and normal conia. 
And 3d, Salts of dimethyl- conium— obtained by the union of 
iodide of methyl and the methyl-conia contained in conia as 
obtained from the plant. 
Iodide of methyl acts readily upon conia, producing a syrupy 
or crystalline substance, which is a mixture of hydriodate of methyl- 
conia and iodide of dimethyl-conium, — the former produced from the 
normal conia, and the latter from the methyl-conia. The action of 
caustic potash decomposes the hydriodate of methyl-conia, setting 
the base free, while the iodide of dimethyl-conium is unattacked. 
The two substances can thus be readily separated from each other. 
* Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, lxxxix. 5. 
