REPORT ON CHEMISTRY. 
5 09 
precipitate is soluble in water, and is a double salt, consisting 
of one atom of bichloride of platinum with one atom of a mu¬ 
riate of the vegetable alkali. 
Test for cinchonin in sulphate of quinin .—Kindt * gives the 
following method for detecting the presence of cinchonin in sul¬ 
phate of quinin. A grain of the salt in fine powder is shaken 
with one dram of aether, and a dram of ammonia is added, and 
the whole well shaken. If no cinchonin be present, the line of 
separation of the fwo fluids is clean ; if the smallest quantity 
be present, it is deposited at this line. 
Atropin — Hyoscyamin .—Brandes states, that if leaves of bel¬ 
ladonna be distilled with water and caustic lime, a liquid passes 
over, which besides the smell of ammonia has that also of the 
fresh plant. By saturation with muriatic acid, evaporation to 
dryness, treating with alcohol, evaporating this solution, and 
distilling the dry mass with a little water and caustic lime, an 
alkaline poisonous liquid is obtained, which in the open air 
speedily decomposes. 
Coniin .—By a similar treatment of the seed, flowers, or fresh 
stems of hemlock, Geiger has obtained a volatile alkali ana¬ 
logous to that contained in tobacco. The dry plant is almost 
destitute of it. Coniin is a colourless oily liquid, which gives 
a temporary oily stain to paper, has a peculiar penetrating smell, 
brings tears to the eyes, causes giddiness in the head, and has 
a sharp tobacco-like taste. It is poisonous, and more so than its 
salts, has a specific gravity =0*89, boils at 308° F., and distills 
with only slight decomposition. It burns like a volatile oil, 
and reddens moist litmus paper. In the air it is decomposed, 
giving off ammonia and leaving a brown resin-like mass. At 
59° F. it takes up \ of its weight of water without losing its 
oily appearance, and still more as the temperature decreases ; 
so that at 23° F. it takes up its own weight. If the temperature 
be increased, the water is separated, so that coniin containing 
water always becomes opaque when heated, and clear when 
cooled again. For perfect solution one part requires 100 of 
water; with absolute alcohol, it mixes in all proportions. It 
has been analysed by Liebig, and found to consist of carbon 
66*913, hydrogen 12% nitrogen 12*805, oxygen 8*282. The 
atomic weight by calculation = 1369*986 ; Geiger by experi¬ 
ment found 14*06 f. 
The following List contains all the vegetable salt bases hitherto 
described, and their composition as far as is known. 
* Brandes’ Archiv. xxxvii. p. 254. f Geiger’s Magazin, xxxvi. p. 161. 
