174' 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
trate  and  bicarbonate  of  soda,  and  then  with  ether.  The  color- 
less ethereal  solution  was  distilled,  the  soft  residue  redissolved  in 
dilute  sulphuric  acid,  and  again  treated  with  ether  and  ammonia. 
The  alkaloid  was  now  obtained  as  an  almost  colorless  mass, 
readily  combining  to  form  crystalline  salts,  but  without  any  dis- 
tinctive reactions.  On  dissolving  the  impure  alkaloid  in  acids,  a 
reddish-brown  substance  separates,  which,  from  the  experiments 
made  with  it,  may  be  assumed  to  be  inert. 
The  following  are  experiments  made  last  winter  by  Dr.  Haigh, 
of  Michigan,  for  the  prize  essay  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  and  which  have  not  been  published.  The  form  in  which 
the  alkaloid,  prepared  as  above,  was  used,  is  the  hydrochlorate ; 
the  other  preparations  were  made  by  Mr.  Haigh  : 
"  From  the  perusal  of  Dr.  Christison's  account*  I  was  led  to  believe 
I  had  a  very  energetic  poison  to  deal  with,  and  that  in  my  experiments 
it  would  be  necessary  to  exercise  the  greatest  care  in  order  to  get  its 
maximum  effect  without  producing  death.  I  therefore  commenced  ex- 
perimenting with  small  doses,  and  as  about  12  grains  had  produced  such 
positive  effect  upon  Dr.  Christison,  I  commenced  with  5  grains  of  the  bean. 
This  quantity,  in  five  powders,  was  given,  on  a  piece  of  meat,  to  a  dog 
which  weighed  17  lbs. 
The  animal  was  closely  observed  for  two  hours,  but  I  could  detect  no 
symptoms  indicating  any  action  of  the  poison.  The  dog  was  then  well 
fed  for  two  days,  in  order  that  all  influence,  if  any  there  had  been,  might 
pass  off,  and  then  a  second  dose  of  10  grains  was  administered  in  meat 
as  before.  This,  as  in  the  first  experiment,  produced  no  effect  whatever. 
Referring  to  the  article,  by  Thos.  Nunnelly,  in  the  London  Lancet,  I 
found  that  he  had  obtained  well-marked  poisonous  effects  upon  a  dog  in 
40  minutes  from  a  dose  of  12  grains  of  the  bean.  The  symptoms  he  ob- 
served were  :  it  was  weak  and  had  a  desire  to  lie  down,  but  would  appear 
frightened  if  told  to  do  so.  The  pupils  were  a  little  contracted,  an  effect 
said  to  be  characteristic  of  this  poison.  Thinking  there  might  have  been 
some  mistake  in  my  experiments,  I  let  the  dog  rest  one  day  without  food, 
and  then  gave  him  15  grains  of  the  powdered  bean  with  meat.  This  time 
it  produced  some  decided  physiological  effects.  In  20  minutes  after  the 
animal  had  taken  the  powder  there  was  a  manifest  drooping  of  the  ears 
and  tail,  and  he  walked  about  as  if  very  tired.  In  30  minutes 
there  was  a  little  staggering  in  his  gait,  and  a  wandering  about  as  if  the 
air  of  the  room  was  oppressive.  When  spoken  to  he  would  brighten  up, 
but  appeared  immediately  to  forget  it.  No  contraction  of  the  pupils 
occurred.   In  about  two  hours  he  went  to  sleep,  and  was  the  next  morn- 
*  See  Pharm.  Journal,  xiT.  p.  470. 
