ON LOBELINA. 
7 
accordance with this view, the following experiment was exe- 
cuted : 
Two drachms of bruised lobelia seeds were macerated in two 
ounces of water, to which five drops of sulphuric acid were add- 
ed for three days, and filtered. This liquor which had a 
light brown color, and acrid taste, .was divided into two equal 
portions A and B. A was put into a retort, to which a re- 
ceiver was adapted, and heat applied until three-fifths of the 
liquid had distilled. On examination of the product and resi- 
due, the former had the odour of lobelia but was tasteless, the 
latter in the retort was much more acrid than the original in- 
fusion, having really all the acrimony of the quantity subject- 
ed to distillation. 
The infusion, B, was saturated with magnesia, filtered and 
distilled as before, until three-fifths had passed over. The 
product resembled that of A. On examining the residueinthe 
retort it was found to have entirely lust its acrimony. 
To ascertain if lobelina itself, when freed from those sub- 
stances that necessarily accompany it in an infusion, was si- 
milarly affected by heat, one and a half grains of lobelina 
was dissolved in an ounce and a half of water, and divided into 
two equal portions, No. 1 and No. 2. No. 1 was subjected to 
distillation in a distillatory apparatus until one-third of the li- 
quid had passed over. The product and residue were re 
removed and placed in separate bottles. To No. 2 a small por- 
tion of sulphuric acid was added, rather more than sufficient to 
saturate the lobelina, and afterwards subjected to a similar dis- 
tillatory process, and the residue and product also separately 
bottled. On examining the results of the distillation of No. 
1, the distilled water had a lactescent appearance, which, by 
standing, assumed a brown color, and had a bitter taste, but 
not the slightest acrimony. The residue was opaque, had a 
brick red color, and none of the peculiar taste of lobelina, but 
merely a bitterness. The opacity of the solution No. 1, took 
place soon after the application of the heat to it. 
The product of No. 2 was perfectly transparent, and had 
very little odor or taste. The residue was nearly transpa- 
