OF THE ROOT OF THE HEMLOCK. 
55 
32° Fahr. for 36 hours the juice remained opalescent. On boiling, a cloud 
of albumen, equal, after standing 24 hours, to ^ of the bulk of the fluid, sepa¬ 
rated. The supernatant fluid was bright and of a faint greenish-brown tinge. 
It gave reactions indicating the presence of a large quantity of sugar; of cldo - 
vine; phosphoric acid in abundance ; sulphuric acid , a mere trace ; soda ; lime, ; 
and magnesia, i 5j of the crude juice yielded 20 grains of extract; and this 
quantity of extract 1*3 grain of ash. The ash was with difficulty fusible, and 
refused to run into a compact porcellaneous mass, like that derived from the 
juice of the leaf. It dissolved with brisk effervescence in dilute hydrochloric 
acid. The solution contained abundance of potash ; and a trace of iron, derived 
no doubt, from the rollers used in crushing the root. No trace of nitric acid 
could be detected. # 
The extract was prepared from the crude juice, as I have stated. Fifty-five 
fluid ounces yielded 2^ ounces avoir. (1093 grains). A very powerful hemlock 
odour was evolved during the whole of the process. The extract was chiefly 
composed of sugar, it was of a drab colour, possessed a faint odour, and very 
sweet saltish taste, otherwise resembling the extract of the leaf. 30 grains 
of it taken internally produced no effect, but the sensation of numbness before 
mentioned remained upon the tongue after swallowing it. It was excessively 
tenacious, and could be drawn out into long threads. 
I. January 26. 1867.—Liquified 250 grains of the extract with a little water 
and f 5j of solution of caustic potash (gr. xxxvj in f§j), a strong odour of conia 
and ammonia was immediately evolved. The mixture was transferred to a 
retort, and distilled from a chloride of calcium bath at a temperature varying 
from 220° to 250° Fahr. A fluid ounce of highly alkaline colourless fluid was 
obtained. By Geiger’s process 0 3 of a grain of oily matter, smelling strongly 
of conia, and 3| grains of nearly colourless sulphate of ammonia were obtained. 
Only a very slight darkening occurred during the process of evaporation of the 
neutralized distillate, but a very powerful acrid odour of conia was evolved 
on mixing the residue with caustic potash. After lying by in a corked tube 
for a few days, the conia product consolidated into stellate groups of almost 
colourless minute crystals \ and when, after the lapse of three months, it was dis¬ 
solved in aether the solution had a neutral reaction and a taste free from the biting- 
acridity of conia. In fact it contained but a faint trace of conia, and appeared 
to be principally composed of one of the three substances about to be described. 
A dark brown dry mass, evolving an intensely acrid odour somewhat resem¬ 
bling the empyreumatic oil of tobacco, remained in the retort. It was liquified 
with \\ ounce of water, and washed with a mixture of 1 part of chloroform and 
5 parts of aether. After separation and distillation of the sethereal solution, a 
little clear brown fluid remained, and on allowing it to evaporate spontaneously 
a partly waxy and partly crystalline substance, of a rich brown colour, was ob¬ 
tained. I will call this the u sethereal extractit is composed of three distinct 
bodies—two crystalline neutral principles, and a resinous substance. As I find 
no mention of them in chemical works, I will briefly describe them under the 
names of rhizoconine, rhizoconylene, and conamarine, names which I use 
merely for the sake of distinction, and without any reference to the relationship 
of these bodies. 
* fgviij of the crude juice, heated to 150° Fahr. to precipitate the albumen, and filtered, 
were mixed with iRxxx strong sulphuric acid, and set by. Five months afterwards the mix¬ 
ture was unchanged, and f 3j was taken, mixed with a considerable excess of caustic potash, 
and twice washed with aether. After separation of the aether and its distillation, there remained 
less than half a grain of soft solid oily matter. It had a sharp minty tobacco taste, and a strong 
alkaline reaction. Stirred with a little dilute sulphuric acid it refused to dissolve, but on 
pouring off’ the acid and adding an excess of caustic potash to it, an odour of conia, as strong 
as that from a solution of a small drop of pure conia in four drachms of water, was evolved. 
