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might have been anticipated, as in consequence of the acid’s almost complete 
insolubility in water, it cannot get within reach of a body so dissolved. The 
same results would doubtless be obtained with all the more soluble alkaloids. 
When oleic acid is added to extract of cabbage, diffused through water, 
and then treated as before described, it rises to the surface, accompanied by 
the chlorophyll, albumen, etc,, from which it cannot easily be separated. 
I therefore proceeded thus :—I weighed 500 grains of extract, and diffused 
it through hot Water, slightly acidulated with hydrochloric acid, then added 
100 grains of strychnia solution, and made up the measure of the whole to 8 
ounces. This was thrown on a plaited filter, which soon allowed half the fluid 
to pass. As the extract was not completely soluble, a little less than this was 
taken, exactly neutralized with ammonia, and then treated with 10 grain mea¬ 
sures of volumetric ammonia and about half an ounce of oleic acid. The rest 
of the process was conducted as before described. I recovered in every case 
80 per cent, and no more, notwithstanding the greatest care in manipulation. 
Quinine treated in the same way, yielded the same proportion. When ether 
was used as the solvent, precisely the same results were obtained, though the 
time occupied was certainly not shorter. On the whole, I am inclined to 
think the oleic acid process deserves attention. 
I tried also to eliminate the alkaloid by animal charcoal. Mr. Cobb pub¬ 
lished a paper on this subject, in the 10th vol. Pharm. Journ., and Messrs. 
Graham and Hofmann used the process for detecting the presence of strychnia 
added by them to bitter ale. However I was less fortunate than they, and 
could not make the process answer. I am inclined to think the hind of char¬ 
coal had some influence, and that probably there are varieties of that sub¬ 
stance that do not hold on so tightly to the alkaloids as the specimen I used. 
The alkaloid is separated from the liquid and united with (or destroyed by P) 
the charcoal with the greatest ease, and could it be as easily recovered by a 
change of solvent or of circumstances, no process of elimination could com¬ 
pare with it. Strychnia once absorbed, I could get no indication of, after 
boiling with rectified spirit, as Graham directs, with alcohol of various densi¬ 
ties acidulated and not acidulated, with chloroform or acetic ether. With 
cinchonine I was not entirely unsuccessful, but recovered only 25 per cent. 
The question of the charcoals therefore deserves to be gone into, with a 
view of ascertaining whether or not they differ in kind as well as degree of 
efficiency. 
The only other likely method that has occurred to me, is that by dialysis, 
a subject in the able hands of Dr. Attfield. 
On the whole, I am disposed to think that the attempt to ascertain by ana¬ 
lysis the remedial effect of an extract is never likely to be practically fol¬ 
lowed ; it is far too troublesome, and besides, I think no method can be de¬ 
vised that will give an accurate result. It is difficult, as I have found, to re¬ 
cover the whole of the alkaloid when dissolved in pure water. I do not believe 
it possible without infinite pains to recover it from a confused mass of princi¬ 
ples combined into an extract. A portion of the alkaloid may, in most cases, 
be expected to be combined with some form of tannin, or united with resi¬ 
nous or fatty substances, and although the menstrua of the chemist would 
probably fail to extract them, the stomach of a patient would not. Then 
again, no natural extract owes its virtues solely to the alkaloid it contains; 
neutral principles, the glucosides, resins, oils, and extractive, one and all play 
their part, and oftentimes not an unimportant one. 
Again, the mere amount of alkaloid is insufficient,—its kind would also 
have to be ascertained. It is likely that no alkaloid is unaccompanied by its 
fellow of similar though unequal medical value. In every such case the mer¬ 
curial compound, supposing iodohydrargyrate to have been used in the esti- 
