310         ON  ACONITIA  AND  ITS  PHYSIOLOGICAL  EFFECTS. 
of  alcohol  of  85°  during  eight  days.  Displace  the  liquors,  dis- 
till in  a  water  bath,  add  a  sufficient  quantity  of  quicklime,  agi- 
tate from  time  to  time,  filter,  precipitate  by  a  slight  excess  of 
diluted  sulphuric  acid,  and  evaporate  to  the  consistence  of 
syrup.  Add  to  this  liquid  two  or  three  times  its  weight  of 
water,  allow  it  to  repose,  and  remove  the  green  oil  which  floats 
and  solidifies  at  68°  F.,  strain  through  a  moistened  filter  to  re- 
move the  last  portions  of  oil ;  treat  by  ammonia  in  excess,  and 
heat  to  ebullition  ;  the  aconitia  is  precipitated  as  a  compact 
mass,  which  contains  a  great  deal  of  resin,  and  separates  easily 
from  the  liquor;  wash  the  precipitate,  treat  it  when  dry  by 
ether  deprived  of  water  and  alcohol,  and  permit  the  ethereal 
liquor  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  which  gives  impure  aconitia. 
Dissolve  the  product  thus  obtained  in  diluted  sulphuric  acid, 
and  precipitate  it  hot  by  ammonia;  the  aconitia  separates  in  the 
form  of  a  coagulum  like  codeia.  Collect  it  on  a  filter,  wash  and 
dry  it,  dissolve  in  ether,  evaporate  to  dryness,  again  dissolve 
in  a  small  quantity  of  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  and  finally  pre- 
cipitate the  aconitia  by  the  addition,  drop  by  drop,  of  an  excess 
of  ammonia  ;  wash  it,  and  dry  at  a  low  temperature. 
Ten  kilogrammes  (22  lbs.  av.)  of  the  root  of  aconitum  napel- 
lus  in  good  order,  gave  a  mean  of  4  to  6  grammes  (61  to  92 
grains)  of  alkaloid. 
Aconitia  thus  obtained  presents  the  form  of  a  white  powder, 
extremely  light,  of  a  bitter  taste  :  it  is  in  the  state  of  hydrate, 
and  contains  20  per  cent,  of  water;  at  187°  F.  it  melts  and 
becomes  anhydrous,  and  is  then  a  transparent,  amber-colored 
substance.  Although  the  aconitia  of  M.  Hottot  has  only  been 
obtained  in  an  amorphous  state,  it  is  very  much  more  active 
than  the  aconitias  of  commerce,  which  are  generally  very  im- 
pure, although  they  are  often  crystallized.* 
A  singular  thing,  and  well  worthy  of  attention,  is,  that  there  ex- 
ists in  aconite  root  two  distinct  substances,  which  possess,  in 
different  degrees,  the  physiological  properties  of  this  substance. 
One  is  the  amorphous  aconitia  of  M.  Hottot,  the  other  is  a  sub- 
stance which  is  presented  in  the  form  of  well-defined  crystals, 
*  See  the  paper  of  Messrs.  Smith  in  this  volume,  page  173,  on  aconella 
(narcotiiia)  in  aconite, — Ed.  Am.  J.  Phakm. 
