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An improved apparatus for the steam distillation of niootine, 
nornicotine, and anabasine has been designed* This apparatus per* 
nits a longer contact between the steam vapor and the solution con- 
taining the alkaloids, -which results in more rapid distillation than 
is possible by the conventional (A*0*A*C«) method*— Bowen and 
Barthel (11). 
A method is proposed for analysis of nicotine and nornicotine* 
Sodium chloride and strong sodium hydroxide greatly aid the distilla- 
tion of nornicotine* The steam distillate containing both alkaloids 
is concentrated, and an aliquant treated with nitrous add to form 
nitrosonornicotine, which is not volatile with steam under the con- 
ditions at which the nicotine may be distilled (alkaline to phenol- 
phthalein)* Precipitation of the silicotungstates of the distillate 
containing the nicotine and of another aliquant containing both alka- 
loids furnishes the means of calculating the percentages of these alka- 
loids* The results of analyses of several samples of tobacco* N* rustics , 
and Tranter cial nicotine sulfate solutions lndioate an unexpeotedTy wide- 
spread occurrence of nornicotine* From a comparison of analyses made 
aeoording to the A. 0* A* C* method* it is evident that when nornicotine is 
present the accepted method of analysis for nicotine cannot be de- 
pended upon to give reliable results.— Bowen and Barthel (IS)* 
A test for the completeness of extraction of alkaloids from 
plant material is described which employs a slight modification 
of the method employed by Markwood and Barthel (see 46) for the 
liberation of the alkaloid from plant material* Approximately 
5 gnu of the metre is treated with 10 ml* of strong sulfuric aoid 
(9 ♦ 1), whereby the cellular structure is broken down with the 
formation of the sulfates of any remaining organic bases* After 
mixing for several minutes, water is added and the undissolved 
portion removed by filtration* The filtrate is neutralised with 
sodium hydroxide just aoidifedwith hydroohlorie aoid and tested witk 
siliootungstic acid solution* The test solution and reagent art 
warmed and then cooled with strong agitation. No precipitate in- 
dicates less than 0*01 peroent of nicotine, nornicotine, or anabasine 
— Bowen and Barthel (14)* 
A method of determining nicotine and nornicotine in mixtures of *■' 
the alkaloids without preliminary separation is described* The method 
depends on the reactions of these oompounds with cyanogen bromide 
to give, with niootine, a pale yellowish* green color, and with 
nornicotine a red color* A 0.64 to 2-gm. sample of tobacco is steam- 
distilled from a solution containing salt and sodium hydroxide* This 
treatment insures a quantitative recovery of norniootine, which is much 
less volatile with steam than is niootine* A volume of the dis- 
tillate containing not more than 80 micrograms of nicotine or 160 
micrograms of nornicotine is treated with potassium dihydrogen 
phosphate, and then with freshly prepared cyanogen bromide reagent. 
After the color has been allowed to develop, the solution is trans- 
ferred to a spectrophotometer and the intensity of the color de- 
veloped by norniootine is read at 540 millimicrons and that by 
nicotine at 575 millimicrons. Concentrations of the alkaloids are 
determined by inspeotion of previously prepared calibration curves. 
Since the color developed by nornicotine has an additive effect on the 
intensity of the color given by niootine, the true concentration of 
