ON NARCOTIC PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
107 
are thrown into the market in immense quantities from sources 
which it would be in vain to trace, and at prices, too, which would 
be perfectly ruinous to responsible manufacturers. We shall find 
these extracts black and opaque, almost insoluble in water, and of 
an herbaceous, and frequently strongly empyreumatic, in place of 
a narcotic odor, giving unquestionable evidence of their mode of 
preparation. Is it strange then, that, while such trash constitutes 
about two thirds of all manufactured in the United States,* the 
skilful practitioner should look elsewhere for a reliable article. 
The second question is one much more difficult of solution, 
and one, an answer to which I have attempted in the following ex- 
periments. The first was with Conium maculatum, obtained at the 
time of flowering, both in New York and in this State. One was 
the wild and the other the cultivated plant, but by the eye they 
could not be distinguished; in size they were but little inferior to 
a very fine specimen of the foreign herb. On bruising with caus- 
tic potassa, the peculiar odor of the alkaloid conia was copiously 
developed. After the above examination, the leaves were bruised 
with a small portion of water, subjected to powerful pressure, the 
same repeated, and after allowing the solid particles contained in 
the liquors to subside, the whole was inspissated in a vacuum 
apparatus prepared for the purpose, at a temperature of 115° F., 
the process being nearly that of the United States Pharmacopoeia. 
The only object in retaining the albumen and chlorophylle, (they 
being now almost universally admitted to be inert), was to make a 
more just comparison with the English article in which they are 
still combined. The extract, when finished, was of a greenish 
brown color, and in its sensible properties compared favorably 
with any specimen I could obtain. Equal portions of it, and a 
preparation, from one of the most celebrated transatlantic labora- 
tories was taken, and after the addition of water, and a small 
quantity of caustic potassa, half an ounce of liquid was obtained 
from each by distillation. These distillates had the odor of the 
plant in a nearly equal degree ; but from the small quantity of ex- 
tract which could be devoted to this experiment, it was found im- 
possible to isolate the alkaloid in any measurable quantity. On 
* The excellent quality of the preparations of two or three manufacturers 
will of course exclude them from this class. 
