2  Estimation  of  Strychnine  in  Nux  Vomica.  {A^nua£yP£o7m' 
at  the  end  of  I  y2  hours  the  liquid  is  made  alkaline  with  ammonia, 
and  shaken  out  by  means  of  chloroform. 
Howard1  found  Keller's  process  accurate  if  conducted  at  10°  C. 
While  endorsing  his  (Howard's)  opinion,  Reynolds  and  Sutcliffe2  call 
attention  to  the  influence  of  nitrous  acid  on  the  oxidation  of  the 
brucine,  and  recommend  that  the  decomposition  be  stopped  imme- 
diately the  nitration  of  the  brucine  is  completed. 
Gordin 3  indisputably  proved  that  in  carrying  out  Keller's  pro. 
cess  partial  oxidation  of  the  strychnine  occurs.  In  Gordin's  pro- 
cess (now  official)  the  total  alkaloids  from  10  c.c.  fluid  extract  are 
dissolved  in  15  c.c.  of  H2S04  3  per  cent.  After  cooling,  3  c.c.  of  a 
mixture  of  nitric  acid  and  water  (equal  volumes)  is  added  and  at 
the  end  of  10  minutes  the  solution  is  made  alkaline  and  shaken  out 
with  chloroform. 
Lenton 4  obtained  erratic  results  with  Gordin's  process  and  con- 
siders it  not  comparable  with  the  ferrocyanide  process.  Farr  and 
Wright5  operated  on  0*084  gramme  brucine  by  Gordin's  process 
and  recovered  0-0767  gramme  alkaloid  (91-3  per  cent.).  They 
suggest  warming  the  solution  of  alkaloids  to  1 220  F.  before  adding 
the  nitric  acid  mixture. 
Operating  on  10  c.c.  of  a  fluid  extract  by  the  U.S. P.  process,  we 
extracted  the  total  alkaloids  in  the  usual  way,  and  dissolved  them 
in  15  c.c.  3  per  cent,  sulphuric  acid.  On  adding  the  3  c.c.  of  nitric 
acid  mixture,  as  directed,  no  change  in  color  took  place  and,  at  the 
end  of  10  minutes,  the  mixture  was  only  faintly  straw-colored. 
Proceeding  with  the  process,  we  obtained  0-171  gramme  of  alkaloid 
by  titration.  From  this  neutral  solution  the  alkaloid  was  again 
extracted  secundum  artem,  and  dissolved  as  before  in  15  c.c.  3  per 
cent,  sulphuric  acid,  3  c.c.  of  nitric  acid  mixture  was  added,  and  at 
the  end  of  10  minutes  the  mixture,  now  slightly  yellow  in  color, 
yielded  0-157  gramme  alkaloid. 
For  experimental  purposes  the  total  alkaloids  were  extracted 
from  100  c.c.  of  the  fluid  extract  by  the  U.S.P.  method,  and  dissolved 
in  weak  sulphuric  acid.    Three  aliquot  portions,  each  representing 
1  Analyst,  1905  (30),  261. 
2  Phar.Jour.,  Vol.  76,  p.  555. 
3  Proc.  A.  Ph.  A.,  1902,  p.  336. 
4  Phar.  Jour.,  Vol.  75,  p.  864. 
5  The  Chemist  and  Drug.,  July  28,  1906. 
