184  Estimation  of  Alkaloids  in  Extracts.  {AmAp0rur;i£h7arm- 
Extract.  1st  Method.  2d  Method.  3d  Method. 
28—30.    Aconite         1-279  per  cent.  1*299  per  cent.  1-305  per  cent. 
31—33.    Conium         0-635      "  0*618      "  0*647 
34—36.    Hyoscyamus  0*837      "  0*837      *  0*803 
Whilst  the  extraction  of  extract  of  aconite  and  extract  of  hyoscya- 
mus  is  easily  accomplished  in  half  an  hour,  it  required  from  1J  to  2 
hours  to  completely  exhaust  the  conium  extract.  The  figures  obtained 
prove  the  efficacy  of  the  new  process.  The  only  doubt  was  in  refer- 
ence to  extract  of  nux  vomica,  as  some  text  books  give  the  solubility 
of  strychnine  in  ether  to  be  1  :  1250,  and  brucine  as  insoluble.  To 
ascertain  their  solubility  in  ether,  Ol  strychnine  and  0*1  brucine  were 
triturated  with  3*0  cc.  of  water  and  10*0  of  lime.  After  extracting- 
the  powder  with  ether  for  one  hour  the  liquid  was  evaporated  and  dis- 
solved in  a  few  drops  of  alcohol  and  10  cc.  of  distilled  water;  for 
titration  7*5  cc.  100th  normal  acid  were  required,  equivalent  to  0*1365 
alkaloid.  In  the  meantime  the  extraction  was  carried  on  for  another 
hour.  The  liquid  treated  as  before  required  for  titration  3*1  cc.  100th 
normal  acid  equivalent  to  0*0564  alkaloid,  making  the  total  0*1929. 
This  experiment  proves  conclusively  that  brucine  is  not  insoluble  in 
ether,  and  it  naturally  follows  that  the  amorphous  alkaloid,  as  obtained 
by  the  action  of  the  alkalies,  must  be  more  soluble  than  the  pure  alka- 
loid. 
It  was  necessary  to  slightly  modify  the  process  for  extract  of  nux 
vomica  owing  to  the  large  amount  of  alkaloid  it  contains.  The  same 
quantity  of  water  and  only  half  the  quantity  of  extract,  rosolic  acid  as 
indicator  and  20th  normal  acid,  in  place  of  100th  normal  acid,  were 
used ;  assuming  the  presence  of  equal  quantities  of  brucine  and  strych- 
nine, 1  cc.  of  20th  normal  sulphuric  acid  is  equivalent  to  0*0182  gram 
of  alkaloid. 
The  experiments  were  made  in  a  similar  manner  as  with  extract  of 
belladonna,  with  the  following  results  : 
(38  and  39)  1.0  extract  nux  vomica,  3*0  water  and  10*0  lime  yield- 
ed 18*92  per  cent,  and  18*74  per  cent,  of  alkaloid. 
(40)  1*0  extract  nux  vomica,  3*0  water,  10*0  lime  were  treated  three 
times  with  cold  ether  and  then  displaced,  the  four  fractions  yielded 
15*10,  2*36,  0.36  and  0  92,  or  a  total  of  18*74  per  cent,  alkaloid. 
(41)  1*0  extract  nux  vomica,  1*0  water,  2.0  ammonia  and  15*0 
pumice  stone,  after  one  hour's  extraction  18*38  per  cent.,  after  fifteen 
minutes  more  0*18  percent.,  total  18*56  percent,  of  alkaloid. 
