AmAS'i877.rm'}  Preparation  and  Toxic  Effects  of  Gelsemia.  151 
about  one-eighth  its  volume,  dilute  the  concentrated  extract  with 
several  times  its  volume  of  water,  and,  after  subsidence  of  the  resinous 
matter  and  filtration,  to  again  concentrate  the  liquid  to  the  original 
volume  of  the  extract  employed.  The  liquid  was  then  acidulated  with? 
hydrochloric  acid  and  the  gelseminic  acid  extracted  with  ether,  after 
which  the  liquid  was  rendered  alkaline  and  the  gelsemia  extracted  hy 
chloroform. 
More  recent  investigations  have  shown  that,  by  the  former  part  oif 
this  process,  a  large  proportion  of  both  the  principles  in  question  are^ 
separated  with  the  resinous  matter,  and  thus  escape  recovery. 
After  trying  various  methods  for  the  more  complete  recovery  of 
these  principles  from  the  fluid  extract,  we  find  the  following  to  give 
the  best  results  :  A  given  volume  of  the  fluid  extract,  acidulated 
with  acetic  acid,  is  slowly  added,  with  constant  stirring,  to  about  eight 
volumes  of  water  ;  after  the  separated  resinous  matter  has  completely- 
deposited,  the  liquid  is  filtered  and  the  filtrate  concentrated  on  a  water- 
bath  to  something  less  than  the  volume  of  fluid  extract  employed.. 
The  gelseminic  acid  is  then  extracted  from  the  concentrated  fluid  by 
ether,  after  which  the  liquid  is  treated  with  slight  excess  of  carbonate 
of  sodium,  and  the  gelsemia  extracted  with  ether  or  chloroform.  For 
the  extraction  of  the  first  of  these  principles  it  is  not  essential  that  the 
liquid  should  be  acidulated,  but  in  the  presence  of  a  free  acid  the 
results  are  more  satisfactory. 
A  series  of  examinations  of  a  number  of  samples  of  the  fluid  ex- 
tract of  gelsemium,  prepared  by  several  of  the  more  prominent  manu- 
facturers, showed  that,  as  found  in  commerce,  it  quite  uniformly 
contains  about  0*2  per  cent,  of  gelsemia,  and  0*4  per  cent,  of  the 
non-nitrogenized  principle.  The  only  marked  exception  to  this  was 
found  in  the  case  of  a  fluid  extract  furnished  a  physician  as  a  sample., 
which  contained  just  double  the  ordinary  proportion  of  the  alkaloid 
and  acid.  Two  samples  of  fluid  extract,  prepared  by  the  same  firm, 
as  obtained  from  the  shops,  contained  the  ordinary  quantity  of  the 
alkaloid  and  acid. 
Within  the  last  several  years  quite  a  number  of  cases  of  poisonings 
by  the  preparation  of  gelsemium,  have  been  reported.  We  have  thus 
far  collected  reports  of  thirteen  cases  of  this  kind  as  having  occurred 
in  this  country.     Of  this  number  nine  proved  fatal. 
In  the  fatal  cases  the  dose  of  the  fluid  extract  varied,  in  the  case  o£ 
