SOLUBILITY  OF  STRYCHNIA  IN  WATER,  ETC. 
25 
by  drying  and  weighing  the  residue,  no  appreciable  weight  is 
lost,  (our  scales  turning  readily  with  one-tenth  gr.) 
1  gr.  cryst.  strychnia,  in  1  f.^.  each  of  officinal  and  absolute 
alcohol,  in  from  five  to  eight  days. 
1  and  4-5ths  gr.  cryst.  strych.  in  1  f.3  absolute  alcohol  dis- 
solved entirely  in  sixteen  days. 
i  gr.  in  1  f.^  ether  dissolved  in  two  or  three  days. 
1  gr.  in  1  f.g  glycerin  dissolved  completely,  all  without  the 
friendly  aid  of  filtering  paper. 
Our  experiments  seem  to  indicate  that  strychnia,  in  crystals, 
without  the  aid  of  heat  or  agitation,  is  soluble  in  about  387 
parts  officinal  alcohol ;  179  parts  absolute  alcohol,  and  682  parts 
ether. 
The  U.  S.  D.,  page  1195,  says,  "  It  is  soluble  in  6667  parts 
water  at  50°  *  *  *  Boiling  officinal  alcohol  dissolves  it 
readily,  but  deposits  it  on  cooling.  Absolute  alcohol  and  ether 
dissolve  it  very  sparingly." 
Do  we  interpret  this  language  correctly  in  supposing  them 
to  mean  strychnia  is  insoluble  in  officinal  alcohol,  and  less  solu- 
ble in  absolute  alcohol  and  ether  than  in  water.  If  so,  then 
our  experiments  and  theirs  conflict  materially,  but  as  we  are 
young  and  unknown,  we  would  respectfully  ask  some  of  you  to 
testify  in  our  behalf,  if  your  experiments  will  bring  you  to  the 
same  conclusions. 
It  may  be  well  enough  to  state  that  the  full  solvent  powers 
of  officinal  alcohol  and  glycerin  were  not  ascertained. 
Should  you  deem  this  worthy  of  a  place  in  your  columns,  please 
insert  it.  If  our  conclusions  are  false,  you  will  confer  a  favor 
by  destroying  them.  Respectfully, 
Plummer  &  Kelly.* 
[  *Note. — This  communication  was  received  as  we  were  in  press,  and  too 
late  to  attempt  to  verify  or  disprove  the  statements  it  contains.  We  there- 
fore reserve  any  comment  until  our  next  issue. — Ed.  Am.  Journ.Pha.rm.] 
