Am,  Jour.  Pharm.  "I 
Oct.,  1882.  j" 
Nicotine  in  Tobacco  Smoke. 
49a 
New  Edition,  14,  p.  249)  conclude  that  nicotine  in  tobacco  is  completely 
decomposed  by  the  smoking  process,  and  that  the  intense  action  of 
tobacco-smoke  on  the  nervous  system  is  attributable  to  the  presence 
of  pyridine  bases.  The  following  pure  substances  were  isolated  :  A 
hydrocarbon  of  the  formula  CggHjg ;  pyridine,  C5H5N ;  picoline,  CgH^N 
lutidine,  C7H9N ;  collidine,  CgH^^N ;  parvoline,  CgH^gN ;  coridine, 
CjoHigN;  rubidine,  CnHi^N;  and  viridine,  C12H19N.  The  presence 
of  the  following  substances  was  also  established  :  Carbonic  anhydride^ 
hydrocyanic  acid,  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  formic  acid,  acetic  anhydride, 
propionic  acid,  butyric  acid,  valeric  acid,  carbolic  acid  and  creasote, 
several  hydrocarbons  of  the  acetylene  group,  finally  ammonia,  methane, 
and  carbonic  oxide.  The  presence  of  caproic,  caprylic,  and  succinic 
acids  could  not  be  determined  conclusively. 
Heubel  ('X'entralbl.  med.  Wissensch.,"  1872,  641)  has  made 
numerous  physiological  experiments  on  tobacco.  He  concludes  that — 
(1)  nicotine  is  unmistakably  contained  in  tobacco-smoke ;  (2)  by  the 
slow  combustion  of  the  nicotine  in  tobacco,  a  large  quantity  is  found 
in  the  smoke ;  (3)  the  fact  that  in  spite  of  its  great  volatility  and  ten- 
dency to  decomposition,  nicotine  is  largely  contained  in  tobacco-smoke, 
is  explained  by  the  leaves  and  the  smoke  containing  this  alkaloid  as  a 
stable  salt,  and  not  in  tiie  free  state. 
Le  Bon  ('^  la  Fumee  du  Tabac,  Recherches  Chimiques  et  Pliysiolo- 
giques'^)  has  found  the  following  constituents  in  tobacco-smoke :  Nico- 
tine, ammonia,  carbonic  oxide,  hydrocyanic  .acid,  and  two  aromatic 
(not  in  a  chemical  sense)  substances,  one  of  which  is  collidine. 
Pease  ('^  Jour.  Amer.  Chem.  Soc.,^^  2,  p.  338)  analyzed  the  smoke  from 
3'6685  grams  Havann a  tobacco  by  burning  the  latter  in  a  long  wooden 
pipe,  and  passing  the  smoke  through  two  bottles  containing  water 
acidified  with  sulphuric  acid.  The  filtered  and  concentrated  solution 
was  then  tritrated  with  potassiomercuric  iodide.  He  obtained  0*081 
gram  nicotine. 
In  discussing  these  facts  the  author  mentions  that,  of  the  two  bases 
found  by  Unverdorben  in  addition  to  picoline,  one  probably  was  nico- 
tine Zeise^s  investigations  are  of  great  importance.  It  cannot  b6 
disputed  that  by  the  dry  distillation,  of  tobacco,  other  products  are 
formed  than  by  the  smoking  process,  as  in  the  latter  case  a  constant 
or  intermittent  (mrreiit  of  air  ])asses  through  the  tobacco.  Referring 
to  Melsens'  researches,  the  author  mentions  that  he  is  the  only  inves- 
tigator who  has  couclusively  established  the  existence  of  nicotine  in 
