and Orfila says that a professor of Vienna applied 
a little on his naked arm, and died soon afterwards. 
Notwithstanding these effects, it has proved a valu- 
able medicine. Magendie diluted it for medicinal 
purposes with about two thousand times its weight 
of sugar and water. 
The Aconite is amongst those plants from which 
have been obtained the potent substances called by 
the general name of vegetable alcaloids, from their 
manifesting an alkaline principle ; many of which, 
and especially that from the Aconite, called Aco- 
nita, or, according to the French, Aconitine, are 
equally as active as the Prussic Acid, both as poi- 
sons and medicinal remedies. 
This class of alkalies was discovered by a German 
apothecary, who published some account of one of 
them in 1803, and again in 1816, after which the 
attention of the continental chemists became direct- 
ed to the subject. The process by which they are 
obtained is not a difficult one. The plant is ma- 
cerated in a large quantity of water. An alkali, 
as ammonia, being added, the vegetable alkali will 
be separated, and this being insoluble in water, may- 
be collected on a filter and washed. To clear it of 
resin or other impurities, it should be mixed with 
animal charcoal, and dissolved in boiling alcohol. 
This alcoholic solution being filtered whilst hot, 
yields the pure vegetable alkali, either by being 
suffered to cool, or by evaporation. Thus we see, 
that although these astonishing properties are dis- 
guised in their natural state, man is endowed by 
his Maker with faculties to search them out, and 
obtain for his use whatever his nature requires. 
