Ass a y  of  Nux  Vomica. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pbarm . 
I      April,  1896. 
The  value  of  weak  acetic  acid  in  the  extraction  of  alkaloids  is 
being  more  and  more  recognized,  and  it  is  peculiarly  applicable  here, 
because  it  admits  of  using  the  drug  in  a  coarsely  divided  state — the 
condition  in  which  it  is  most  readily  obtained  for  assay — without 
risk  of  incomplete  exhaustion.  Moreover,  it  dissolves  compara- 
tively little  coloring  matter,  excludes  fats  entirely,  and  can  easily  be 
gotten  rid  of  by  evaporation,  without  in  the  least  injuring  the  alka- 
loids. 
Alcohol  and  ammonia,  in  the  proportions  given,  make  the  best 
solvent  for  the  extract  remaining  after  evaporating  the  acetic  acid, 
and  answer  equally  well,  when  the  process  is  applied  to  the  several 
alcoholic  preparations  of  nux  vomica.  Only  a  little  of  this  mixture 
is  needed,  and,  by  keeping  the  volume  of  the  alkaloidal  extract  low 
at  this  stage,  the  next  step  of  shaking  out  is  much  simplified,  in 
that  a  single  application  of  ether  chloroform  is  sufficient  to  with- 
draw the  alkaloids  completely,  any  tendency  to  emulsify  being 
entirely  obviated  at  the  same  time. 
A  mixture  of  ether  and  chloroform  is  preferable  to  chloroform 
alone,  as  it  enables  the  isolation  of  the  alkaloids  in  a  purer  state. 
These  still  contain  about  5  per  cent,  of  impurities,  however,  making 
estimation  by  weight  impracticable.  But  by  titration  quite  accurate 
results  are  obtained,  if  the  indicator  used  is  fairly  sensitive,  and  the 
endreaction  is  not  materially  obscured  by  the  small  quantity  of  col- 
oring matter  present. 
The  ether-chloroform  solution  may  be  drawn  from  the  separator 
and  filtered  just  as  soon  as  the  dark-colored  extract  has  risen  to  the 
top,  but  in  that  case  filtration  will  be  very  slow  from  clogging  of 
the  filter  by  small  particles  suspended  in  the  solution.  It  is  better 
to  let  it  stand  one  or  two  hours,  or  over  night,  before  filtering. 
The  method  has  been  found  equally  useful  as  a  means  of  stand- 
ardizing the  galenical  preparations  of  this  drug. 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  16,  1896. 
It  has  been  definitely  decided  that  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference 
shall  commence  its  sessions  in  Liverpool  on  Tuesday,  July  28,  1896. — Pharma- 
ceutical Journal. 
A  Three  Months'  Vacation  by  Our  General  Manager,  is  the  title  of  a  neat 
booklet,  issued  by  the  Smith,  Kline  and  French  Company,  containing  an 
account  of  what  Mr.  Kline  saw  in  Europe  during  the  summer  of  1895. 
