— 20 — 
The residue that was not treated with alcohol, when di¬ 
luted with water, also gave reactions with the above reagents. 
To be sure that the alcohol was not the cause of the trouble, 
I tried the dilute alcohol with the reagents, but could get no 
reaction. The results of this year with alfalfa were confirm¬ 
atory with those of two years ago. 
One hundred grams (1-5 lb.) of the finely-ground plant 
were digested with water strongly acidulated with sulphuric 
acid. This was filtered and distilled; the distillate had an acid 
reaction ; barium carbonate was added to form a barium salt. 
This barium salt was heated with alcohol and sulphuric acid, 
when acetic ether was given off, showing the presence of 
acetic acid. 
In all my work on the loco, I have never failed to obtain 
tests for the alkaloids, and I have never succeeded in ob¬ 
taining any physiological effects upon myself or rabbits. 
Last year I tried the Dragendorff method as described in his 
Plant Analysis, 1884, and also the method of Dr. Wiley, as 
published in the American Chemical Jouimal, Vol. II., No. 8, 
page 557. In either case I did not succeed in eliminating any 
residue that gave physiological reactions. My attention was 
called to a paper on the recovery of alkaloids by J. U. Lloyd, 
of Cincinnati, read at the meeting of the American Pharma¬ 
ceutical Association, at New Orleans. He kindly sent me two 
copies. His method consists in treating the fluid extracted with 
a mixture of equal amounts of dry hydroxide of iron and bi¬ 
carbonate of soda. The stiff magma is treated with chloro¬ 
form a number of times. He says : “ By this method I now 
find alkaloids in many drugs that failed to yield them hereto¬ 
fore. Indeed, comparatively few drugs are destitute of or¬ 
ganic bases.” I tried his plan, as follows: Two kilos. (4.4 lbs.) 
of the dried and finely-ground plants were packed in a perco¬ 
lator. Percolate it with dilute alcohol (i alcohol to 3 of 
water); evaporate the alcoholic extract to the consistency of 
thick honey ; thicken this with a mixture of equal amounts of 
hydroxide of iron and sodium bicarbonate to a thick paste ; 
exhaust with chloroform and evaporate the chloroform. The 
chloroform residue is treated with a little dilute sulphuric acid . 
and examined for alkaloids. This residue gave me alkaloidal 
reactions but no crystalline substance, nor physiological test 
with rabbits. Prof. Lloyd’s letter contained a statement that 
may be of use to others who may investigate the subject. “ It 
seems to me from a review of the papers that I have seen cbn- 
cerning the action of this plant, that it is evident that the re¬ 
sult of its use is that of an increasing toxic agent, that is, the 
effect is not such as I would suppose would follow the action 
