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SELECTED ARTICLES. 
ART. XV. — PROCESS FOR OBTAINING VER ATRIA. 
By M. J. Righini. 
Take of the seeds of the cevadilla, {Veratrum sabadilla^) 
four pounds, common water twenty pounds; digest for three 
days in a covered copper vessel, strain off the liquid, and set 
it aside; bruise the cevadilla in a mortar, taking care that the 
seeds, which are about the size of a grain of millet, should be 
well broken ; then boil it with twenty pounds of water, 
holding in solution half an ounce of tartaric acid, until one- 
half the liquid has evaporated. Strain and boil the residue in 
the same quantity of water, with one-half the quantity of 
acid, until reduced to six pounds. The insoluble part is to 
be put in a press to separate all the liquid, which being added 
to the other decoctions, is concentrated to the consistence of 
a syrup. The liquid product obtained by the digestion is 
now to be added, and the whole slightly concentrated. In 
this state one pound of concentrated solution of ammonia is 
to be added, by little at a time, constantly stirring the liquid. 
Having been allowed to be at rest for five days, the deposit 
formed is to be separated by a filter, allowing it to drain per- 
fectly. The remaining liquid, which is of a black color, is 
again brought to the consistence of a syrup; and one-half the 
quantity of the ammonia used in the former operation, to be 
added, in the same mariner as at first. Having been left at 
rest for two days, the precipitate formed is to be separated, 
united to the first, and the whole slightly dried, when it is to 
be rubbed up with chemically pure animal charcoal, and 
digested for three hours, in two pounds of alcohol of 40°. 
The alcoholic tincture is to be filtered, when half cool, into a 
closed glass vessel, and another pound of alcohol added to 
the residue, and digestion continued for the same length of 
time. 
By the filtration and cooling of the alcoholic tincture, a 
brown colored liquid is obtained, which deposits a whitish 
pulverulent matter. The alcoholic tincture, which weighs 
