146  DETECTION  AND  ESTIMATION  OF  QUINIA,  &0. 
gree  of  oxidation,  and  that  degree  would  vary  as  circumstances 
varied  during  its  passage  :  the  variation  of  its  purgative  activity 
is  hereby  accounted  for.  M.  R.  proposes  to  use  it  for  the  treat- 
ment of  fever,  &c,  as  an  antiperiodic,  and  with  the  idea,  I 
presume,  of  preventing  its  oxidation,  and  consequent  aperient 
effect,  gives  it  in  combination  with  finely  divided  metallic  iron  (fer 
re'duit). 
Perhaps  were  the  dose  enveloped  in  wax  or  spermaceti,  or  still 
better,  in  Evans's  membrane  capsules,  so  that  it  may  pass  into 
the  bowels  previous  to  solution,  the  result  would  be  more  uni- 
form.— Pharm.  Jou?\,  Aug.,  1856. 
ON  THE  DETECTION  AND  ESTIMATION  OF  QUINIA  AND  OTHER 
ALKALOIDS  IN  FATTY  OILS. 
By  William  Bastick. 
Having  been  required  to  examine  some  specimens  of  cod-liver 
oil  with  quinine,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  presence  of  that 
alkaloid  and  its  quantity  in  them,  and  there  being  no  published 
method  for  the  accomplishment  of  these  objects,  I  have  been 
compelled  to  devise  one.  Believing  this  method  to  be  as  simple 
as  it  is  effectual,  not  only  for  the  detection  and  estimation  of 
quinine  when  dissolved  in  cod-liver  oil,  but  also  for  the  discovery 
and  separation  of  other  alkaloids  when  combined  with  the  fatty 
oils  in  general,  I  venture  to  lay  it  before  the  Members  of  this 
Society.  To  render  my  method  more  intelligible,  I  will  briefly 
describe  an  example  of  its  actual  application.  Two  ounces  of 
the  oil  supposed  to  contain  quinine  were  measured  off,  introduced 
into  a  bottle  capable  of  holding  four  ounces  of  liquid,  and  then 
one  ounce  of  a  solution,  consisting  of  sulphate  of  soda  dissolved 
in  distilled  water,  and  slightly  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
was  added.  After  closing  the  bottle,  the  contents  were  strongly 
and  repeatedly  agitated,  so  as  to  thoroughly  mix  the  watery  and 
oleaginous  liquids.  After  these  liquids  had  separated  again  by 
rest,  half  an  ounce  or  rather  more  of  the  aqueous  solution  was 
removed  from  the  bottle  by  means  of  a  pipette,  and  passed 
through  a  filter,  to  separate  a  few  small  globules  of  oil  still  ad- 
hering to  it.  As  half  an  ounce  of  this  filtrate  corresponded  to 
one  ounce  of  the  oil  under  examination,  care  was  taken  to  mea- 
