A  jaSa^yf£o7.m'}    Estimation  of  Strychnine  in  Nux  Vomica.  3 
10  c.c.  of  fluid  extract,  yielded,  after  nitration  by  the  official  method, 
0-167  gramme,  0-109  gramme,  0*n8  gramme  respectively  of  alka- 
loid reckoned  as  strychnine — results  somewhat  discouraging. 
EXPERIMENTS  WITH  PURE  ALKALOIDS. 
We  tried  the  process  on  pure  alkaloids  and  obtained  the  following 
results : — 
Temp.  Time.        Alkaloid  Recovered. 
Brucine,  0-145  gm  850  F.  10  min.         0*135  gm. 
Strychnine,  0*098  gm  86°  F.  10  min.  0*098  gm. 
Brucine,  0*127  gm  830  F.  2  hours.        0*1174  gm. 
Recently  the  experiments  were  repeated,  using  the  same  process, 
with  results  as  follows  : — 
Temp.  Time.         Alkaloid  Recovered. 
Brucine,  0*131   730  F.  10  min.  none. 
Brucine,  0*122   730  F.  10  min.  none. 
The  results  were  decidedly  interesting ;  while  previously  we  were 
prepared  to  agree  with  those  who  considered  the  process  faulty, 
these  latter  experiments  seemingly  justified  all  the  claims  of  its 
author.  Anyway  we  set  out  to  discover,  if  possible,  the  unknown 
conditions  which  modified  the  action  of  the  nitric  acid  on  the 
brucine. 
Gordin's  process  presumably  depends  upon  the  nitration  of  the 
brucine  when  the  total  alkaloids  are  dissolved  in  an  acid  solution 
consisting  of  10  per  cent.  U.S.P.  nitric  acid  (by  volume)  and  3  per 
cent,  sulphuric  acid  (by  weight).  It  was  found  that  0*1  gramme  of 
brucine  dissolved  in  15  c.c.  of  such  a  mixture  (using  acids  strictly 
pure)  yielded  a  water-white  solution  which  remained  colorless  during 
48  hours  at  ordinary  temperatures. 
A  solution  of  pure  brucine  was  prepared  which  contained  0.1 
gramme  of  the  alkaloid  in  15  c.c.  sulphuric  acid  3  per  cent.,  and  to 
different  portions  of  15  ex.,  3  c.c.  of  the  nitric  acid  mixture  (HN03 
1  vol.,  water  1  vol.)  was  "  added  "  in  the  following  various  ways  : — 
Experiment  (a).  The  nitric  mixture  was  allowed  to  trickle  gently 
down  the  side  of  the  beaker  containing  the  solution  of  brucine,  and 
remain  as  a  separate  layer  at  the  bottom.  In  about  30  seconds  this 
layer  became  pink,  then  gradually  red.  At  the  end  of  two  minutes 
the  beaker  was  rotated. 
