136 
Phytolacca  Decandra. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t     March,  1897. 
ducing  dizziness  if  inhaled.1  With  the  hope  of  throwing  some 
light  on  this  physiologically  active  gas,  a  complete  analysis  of  it 
was  made.  The  gas  was  prepared  by  placing  a  known  quantity  of 
the  dried  root  in  a  hard  glass  retort,  removing  the  air  and  heating 
as  long  as  gas  was  given  off.  The  gas  was  collected  over  mercury. 
It  was  found  to  vary  widely  at  different  stages  of  the  distillation. 
That  given  off  early  in  the  process  contained  as  high  as  60  per 
cent,  of  gas  soluble  in  water,  while  that  near  the  end  of  the  process 
contained  less  than  2  per  cent.  The  gas  at  various  stages  of  the 
distillation  was  tried  on  several  persons  without  producing  any 
physiological  effects.  There  is  a  characteristic  odor  of  ammonia 
and  pyridine  derivatives  throughout  the  whole  process. 
Owing  to  the  wide  variation  in  the  composition  of  the  gas  given 
off  at  different  stages  of  the  distillation,  a  series  of  analyses  were 
made  by  heating  the  substance  just  long  enough  to  drive  off  suffi- 
cient gas  for  a  single  analysis.  For  the  experiment,  7-2  grammes  of 
the  dried  root  were  taken.  The  apparatus  used  was  that  already 
mentioned.  The  distillation  was  continued  until  the  gas  ceased  to 
come  off  at  a  bright  red  heat. 
The  following  is  the  result  of  the  twelve  analyses  in  the  order 
in  which  they  were  made : 
Analysis. 
1. 
2. 
3- 
4- 
5- 
6. 
7* 
8. 
9- 
10. 
II. 
12. 
Ammonia  
65' 
6o-2 
55* 
46- 
37' 
32' 
26' 
24*2 
15" 
6* 
2' 
Carbon  dioxide    .  .  . 
13" 
13" 
H' 
19-4 
23- 
24-6 
24* 
25" 
22'3 
13- 
12* 
10* 
Heavy  hydrocarbons  . 
o*8 
o-8 
I '4 
2* 
* 
2'2 
17 
i"5 
I" 
i*8 
I* 
I* 
0-4 
OO* 
00" 
00* 
00" 
CO* 
00* 
00  • 
00* 
00* 
OO  * 
00  • 
Carbon  monoxide   .  . 
I2'2 
i8*6 
201 
14* 
15-8 
H" 
12* 
6- 
io*8 
8*8 
10* 
9' 
00  • 
•6 
I" 
2-6 
4- 
6' 
8'6 
9" 
6*i 
6*4 
10* 
17*8 
o*6 
r8 
4* 
4* 
3" 
5 '2 
8* 
9- 
10* 
16* 
19*4 
8* 
5" 
sis 
12* 
14-2 
16*2 
22'5 
26*3 
33'2 
45" 
45' 
40'8 
100*0 
IOO'O 
IOO'O 
IOO'O 
100*0 
IOO'O 
100*0 
IOO'O 
IOO'O 
IOO'O 
100*0 
IOO'O 
The  gas  estimated  as  ammonia,  upon  examination,  was  found  to 
contain  other  gases,  as  the  amines,  but  no  determinations  of  the 
latter  have  as  yet  been  made.    The  gas  estimated  as  carbon  dioxide 
1  American  Journal,  of  Pharmacy,  1888,  p.  123. 
