NI COTIN A, AND ITS EFFECTS ON ANIMALS. 397 
and effects on animals as follows : ie A specimen of this alkaloid 
was given to me by Dr. Hofmann. It had a pale amber colour ; 
when poured from the bottle, it flowed like a thin oil; it gave 
a greasy stain to paper, which was speedily removed by 
evaporation; and it evolved a peculiar odour, resembling 
stale tobacco smoke. When heated on platina it produced 
a dense, white smoke, acquired a dark colour, took fire, and 
burnt with a bright yellow flame, giving off an abundance of 
carbon as a thick, black smoke, and leaving a small quantity 
of carbon as a residue. 
“ Strong sulphuric acid in the cold did not carbonize it, but 
the nicotina acquired a reddish colour, which was deepened 
by heat. When the heat was continued, the mixture became 
darker, and white vapours of sulphurous acid, as well as of 
nicotina, were evolved. Sulphuric acid in the cold, with a 
crystal of bichromate of potash, produced, after a time, a green 
colour, from the separation of oxide of chromium. Fuming 
hydrochloric acid brought near to a drop of nicotina, produced 
dense white vapours of the hydrochlorate, resembling those 
caused by ammonia under the same circumstances. When 
heated, the hydrochlorate of nicotina escaped in dense, white 
vapours, leaving as a residue a carbonaceous stain. Nitric 
acid produced in the cold no change, but when heated the 
mixture acquired a dark orange colour. After a time, the 
acid was suddenly and violently decomposed with the evo¬ 
lution of nitrous acid vapour. 
cc Nicotina, in a concentrated state, is powerfully alkaline. 
Two drops dissolved in an ounce of distilled water gave to the 
liquid a strong alkaline reaction. The solution, in this diluted 
state, had the peculiar odour of the alkaloid. A piece of 
paper dipped in pure nicotina, when ignited, burnt with a 
yellow smoky flame, as if it had been dipped in oil. It is 
very soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; and ether possesses 
the property of removing it, although not entirely, from its 
aqueous solution. The solutions have the odour and the 
other chemical properties of the alkaloid. In spite of its 
powerful odour, nicotina does not appear to be very volatile. 
It remains as a greasy-looking spot in a watch-glass, after 
many hours’ free exposure to the air; and even after twenty- 
four hours, the application of heat to the thin film of moisture 
in the glass led to the evolution of the peculiar pungent 
odour of this alkaloid. The vapour evolved from the pure 
alkaloid does not perceptibly affect test-paper like that of 
ammonia, although there are abundant white fumes produced 
on exposure to hydrochloric acid in both cases. If ammonia 
should be mixed with nicotina, that alkali is removed with the 
