Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Nov.,  1882.  I 
Prepai^atioTis  of  Aconite. 
569 
stadt,  the  parcel  used  having  been  obtained  from  a  trustworthy  source 
here.  The  solution  was  made  of  double  tlie  strength  of  the  last, 
namely,  -J^  of  a  grain  ~  1'3  milligram  to  each  cc.  Of  this  solution 
2  cc.  gave  an  impression  similar,  but  not  stronger  than  that  from 
one-third  of  a  minim  of  the  fluid  extract,  and,  therefore,  6  cc.  = 
z=z  1  grain  of  the  aconitia  was  the  equivalent  to  one  minim  of 
fluid  extract,  or  it  was  found  to  be  about  eight  times  stronger  than  the 
first  aconitia.  Its  solution  was  bitter,  but  not  nearly  so  bitter  as  that 
of  the  first;  and  it  required  '12  grain  of  it  to  give  the  impression 
made  by  '0007  grain  of  the  aconitia  as  present  by  calculation  in  one 
minim  of  the  fluid  extract. 
The  next  variety  tried  was  also  made  by  Merck,  and  was  labeled 
From  Himalaya  Root.^'  This,  if  from  the  A.  ferox,  as  is  probable, 
would  be  called  by  authors  on  this  subject  not  aconitin,  but  ^^pseud- 
aconitin,^'  which  is  considered  to  be  a  different  alkaloid.  The  solu- 
tion of  this  for  testing  was  made  double  the  strength  of  the  last, 
namely  half  a  grain  to  50  cc.  of  water  and  "2  cc.  of  acetic  acid,  so 
that  each  cc.  of  the  solution  represented  '01  grain  or  65  milligrams. 
Of  this  solution  one-tenth  of  a  cubic  centimetre  ('1  cc.)  represented 
one-thousandth  ('OOl  grain)  of  a  grain,  and  this  quantity  in  one 
fluidrachm  of  water  gave  an  impression  that  was  very  difficult  to 
detect.  With  '2  cc.  in  the  same  dilution  the  impression  was  decided 
and  continued  for  an  hour  or  more.  With  "4  cc.  the  impression  was 
about  equal  to  '33  minim  of  the  fluid  extra(it,  and  therefore  ('4  cc.  X 
3=)  1*2  cc.  was  about  equivalent  to  (•33m  X  3=)  1  minim  of  fluid 
extract.  Therefore  '012  grain  of  this  pseudaconitin  is  equivalent  in 
physiological  impression  on  the  mouth  to  1  minim  of  fluid  extract. 
But  the  impression  from  this  was  different  in  kind  from  all  the  others, 
having  less  tingling  and  somewhat  more  of  a  peppery  heat  in  it.  It 
came  on  later  than  the  others  for  the  same  degree  of  impression, 
increased  and  decreased  more  slowly,  and  was  of  longer  duration.  As 
•012  grain  was  c(|ual  to  1  grain  of  pondered  root,  and  as  this  latter 
contains  about  '0007  grain  of  aconitia,  it  follows  that  the  alkaloid  in 
its  natural  condition  in  the  root  is  much  more  powerful  than  when 
separated.  It  is  just  about  ten  times  stronger  than  the  last  aconitia,  or 
the  ordinary  aconitin  of  Merck. 
The  next  vari(;ty  tried — and  the  last — was  that  of  Duquesnel, 
labeled  "Aconitine  Cristallisee,  H.  Duquesnel.'^  This  is  in  distinct 
crysttdline  form,  wlijle  the  others  appear  to  be  amorphous,  and  is  quite 
