AmA^ii!*i8P84arm'}        Standard  Extract  of  Nux  Vomica,  201 
alcohol  had  extracted  0*735  gram  of  alkaloid.  A  portion  of  the  speci- 
men of  nux  vomica  employed  had  been  previously  assayed  and  found 
to  contain  2*66  per  cent  of  total  alkaloid  ;  30  grams  consequently  con- 
tained 0*8  gram  of  total  alkaloid,  so  that  92  per  cent,  of  the  total 
alkaloid  had  been  extracted  by  the  80  cubic  centimetres  of  alcohol. 
To  the  marc  were  now  added  another  60  cubic  centimetres  of  the  alco- 
hol; the  percolate  was  analyzed  and  found  to  contain  0*041  of  alka- 
loid, making  a  total  of  0*775  gram  of  total  alkaloid  extracted  from  30 
grams  of  nux  vomica,  which  contained  0*8  gram  of  total  alkaloid. 
These  experiments  were  now  repeated  upon  a  larger  scale,  and  the 
quantity  of  extract  as  well  as  of  total  alkaloid  was  estimated  in  each 
successive  fraction  of  the  percolate.  One  pound  of  finely  powdered 
nux  vomica  was  intimately  mixed  with  one  pint  of  alcohol  (100  : 25) 
and  allowed  to  macerate  for  twelve  hours.  Percolation  was  then  com- 
menced and  continued  with  more  alcohol,  portions  of  the  successive 
fractions  of  the  percolate  being  assayed  for  total  alkaloid.  A  total 
quantity  of  four  pints  of  alcohol  was  employed.  The  results  were  as 
follows : 
One  pound  of  nux  voniica,  containing  189  grains  of  total  alkaloid, 
was  extracted  with  4  pints  of  dilute  alcohol  (100 :  25). 
Fractions  of  percolate. 
Volume  of 
fraction. 
Amount  of  ex- 
,  tract  containing 
22-67  per  cent,  of 
moisture. 
Amount  of  total 
alkaloid  (strych- 
nine and  bruciiie) 
First  fraction  
26  ounces 
856  grains 
125  grains 
16  ounce? 
220  grains 
32  grains 
10  ounces 
74  grains 
11  grains 
10  ounces 
29  grains 
i 
3  grains 
62  ounces 
1,179  grains 
171  grains 
These  results  show  that,  proceeding  in  the  above  way,  nux  vomica 
is  practically  exhausted  by  four  times  its  weight  of  alcohol  of  the 
specified  strength.  It  will  be  noticed  that  maceration  and  percolation 
were  adopted,  principally  because  it  was  fouud  that  the  first  fraction 
of  the  tincture  made  by  direct  percolation  deposited,  after  a  short  time, 
a  flocculent  precipitate  that  was  not  permanently  redissolved  by  heat. 
No  such  result  occurred  when  maceration  was  adopted,  although  the 
strong  tincture  if  kept  for  some  time,  especially  in  cold  weather, 
