174        NEW  ALKALOID  FOUND  IN  ACONITUM  NAPELLUS. 
examination  we  found  it  to  be  possessed  of  alkaline  properties. 
This  circumstance  interested  us  much ;  and  not  knowing  of  any 
like  substance  having  been  mentioned  by  any  one  who  had  ex- 
amined Aconitum  Napellus,  we  have  thought  a  short  statement 
of  its  characteristics,  so  far  as  they  have  yet  been  ascertained  by 
us,  might  be  acceptable  to  your  readers. 
Two  characters  of  the  substance  render  its  separation  exceed- 
ingly simple  and  easy, — -these  are,  its  almost  absolute  insolubility 
in  neutral  watery  liquids,  and  its  great  solubility  in  excess  of 
acid. 
The  juice  of  aconite-root  having  been  evaporated  to  a  soft  ex- 
tract, is  exhausted  with  spirit  of  wine,  and  the  spirit  having  been 
distilled  off,  the  remainder  is  brought  to  an  extract,  which  is 
also  submitted  to  the  action  of  spirit  of  wine,  to  be  exhausted, 
The  spiritous  liquid  is  now  mixed  up  with  milk  of  lime,  using 
1J  lb.  for  every  cwt.  of  the  fresh  root.  After  filtration  sulphuric 
acid  is  added,  till  there  is  no  further  precipitate.  The  spirit- 
ous solution  being  now  filtered,  is  submitted  to  distillation  for 
the  recovery  of  the  spirit.  The  watery  portion  left,  after  the 
separation  of  an  abundant,  dark-green,  fatty  matter,  is  filtered. 
The  liquid  is  now  in  a  state  for  obtaining  the  new  alkaloid. 
The  liquid  will  be  found  strongly  acid,  and  it  is  in  virtue  of 
this  strong  acid  state  that  the  substance  in  question  is  kept 
in  solution,  for  it  separates  as  soon  as  the  acid  is  neutral- 
ized. A  strong  solution  of  carbonate  of  soda  is  therefore  now 
added,  at  first  very  freely,  as  strong  effervescence  on  the  addi- 
tion of  more  soda  shows  unmistakably  the  existence  of  excess 
of  acid.  Towards  the  end,  however,  the  addition  of  the  alkali 
must  be  more  carefully  made,  and  at  considerable  intervals ;  at 
the  same  time  taking  care  to  stir  repeatedly  and  briskly.  When 
the  fluid  has  been  brought  to  a  nearly  neutral  state,  but  still 
slightly  acid,  it  is  to  be  left  to  itself  for  a  day  or  two.  None  of 
the  aconitina  can  be  thrown  down  till  the  liquid  becomes  alka- 
line. 
The  next  step  to  be  taken  is  to  filter  the  liquid  from  the  abun- 
dant preciptate,  which  separates  partly  as  a  loose  powder,  and 
partly  as  a  crystalline  deposit  on  the  sides  of  the  precipitating 
