GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
43 
extract  with  tannic  acid,  &c,  he  obtained  alkaloids,  which,  by 
their  reactions  with  chromate  of  potassa  and  sulphuric  acid,  and 
with  nitric  acid,  established  the  presence  of  strychnia  and  brucia. 
A  complete  isolation  was  impossible  on  account  of  the  small 
quantity  of  the  material  (Witt.  Sch.  viii.  568,  569.) 
Professor  G.  C.  Wittstein  has  in  an  elaborate  analysis  (his  V. 
Schr.  viii.  402-412,)  likewise  proved  the  presence  of  these 
two  alkaloids  in  woorara  obtained  from  Brazil,  but  wTas  unable 
to  get  them  in  an  entirely  pure  state,  owing  to  a  body  of  a  resin- 
ous character  obstinately  adhering  to  them. 
Dr.  Schlosser  experimented  with  this  last  woorara  on  living 
animals.  His  observations,  published  in  Wittstein's  V.  Schr. 
viii.  412-415,  indicate  the  presence  of  poisonous  alkaloids. 
Paralysis,  very  rapid  pulsation  and  death  by  asphyxia  were  the 
most  prominent  symptoms. 
A  specimen  of  wood  of  Strychnos  toxifera,  Schomb.,  in  the 
Bavarian  cabinet  of  drugs  was  examined  by  Professor  Witt- 
stein (V.  Schr.  viii.  415-417.)  He  exhausted  a  portion  of  the 
bark  successively  with  ether,  alcohol,  water  and  boiling  water, 
and  found  strychnia  and  brucia  in  all  these  liquids ;  no  reaction 
on  starch  was  obtained. 
Schweizer  sQupro-ammoniacal  Solution  For  the  preparation 
of  a  solution  of  oxide  of  copper  in  ammonia,  which  has  the 
property  of  dissolving  cellulose  without  decomposition,  E. 
Schweizer  employs  the  basic  carbonate  of  copper.  He  pre- 
cipitates a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper  with  carbonate  of  soda, 
washes  the  precipitate  well,  dries  it  in  a  waterbath  sufficiently  to 
rub  it  to  a  powder,  and  adds  it  in  a  well  stoppered  bottle  to  solu- 
tion of  ammonia  of  -945  spec.  grav.  Stronger  and  weaker  solu- 
tions dissolve  less  of  the  precipitate  ;  the  subcarbonate  of  copper 
is  more  soluble  in  ammonia  than  other  basic  copper  salts,  and  this 
may  be  the  cause  of  its  solution  being  a  better  solvent  for 
cotton,  &c.  That  the  pure  oxide  of  cupro  ammonium  is  the  true  sol- 
vent for  cellulose,  is  best  proven  by  the  solvent  power  of  the  liquor 
obtained  by  digesting  copper  in  ammonia  in  contact  with  the 
air ;  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  sal  ammoniac  favors  the  re- 
action very  much. — Sckweiz.  Zeitschr.f.  Pharm.  1859,  110. 
