970 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV, No II 
SUMMARY 
(1) A method has been devised for the determination of nicotine in 
tobacco and tobacco extracts which has been found to be as rapid and as 
accurate as the silicotungstic acid method and more satisfactory on 
tobacco. The other standard method commonly used for nicotine is the 
Kissling. 
(2) The new procedure eliminates an undesirable feature, namely, 
the steam distillation, common to both of the above methods. 
(3) It has been shown that special precautions should be taken in 
carrying on the distillation in the silicotungstic acid method. Under 
proper conditions very good results were usually obtained by its use; 
otherwise, serious errors were often found when working on tobacco. 
(4) A direct precipitation method which obviates a preliminary ether 
extraction or steam distillation to obtain the nicotine, has also been 
tried and fairly satisfactory results were obtained on most of the tobacco 
extracts employed. It was not found, however, to be applicable to 
tobacco and a few extracts. 
