180     SEPARATION  01  STRYCHNIA  SALTS  BY  CARBOLIC  ACID. 
more  satisfactory  :  Dissolve  the  iron  and  soda  salts  each  in  four  fluidounces 
of  warm  water ;  mix  the  solutions  ;  collect  the  precipitate  on  a  paper 
filter,  and  wash  with  warm  water;  remove  the  filter  from  the  funnel,  and 
press  carefully  between  folds  of  bibulous  paper  until  no  more  water  is  ab- 
sorbed by  dry  paper. 
Having  dissolved  the  sulphate  of  quinia  in  four  ounces  of  water  by  care- 
ful addition  of  sulphuric  acid,  add  a  weak  solution  of  ammonia,  stirring  con- 
stantly until  a  slight  excess  is  added. 
Collect  the  precipitated  quinia  on  a  paper  filter,  and  proceed  as  with  the 
iron  salt.  Both  the  precipitates  will  readily  detach  themselves  from  the 
wet  filter  without  loss  if  the  pressing  is  carefully  done. 
Dissolve  the  strychnia  and  quinia  in  8  oz.  of  the  phosphoric  acid,  and 
the  iron  salt  in  the  remainder  of  the  acid  ;  mix  the  solutions ;  filter  and 
add  the  sugar.  Chas.  Bullock. 
SEPARATION  OF  STRYCHNIA  SALTS  BY  CARBOLIC  ACID. 
M.  Paul  Bert,  (Gazette  3 fed.,)  states  that  when  a  very  dilute 
solution  (1  grain  to  4,500  grains)  of  muriate  of  strychnia  in 
water  is  agitated  with  a  few  drops  of  carbolic  acid,  it  assumes 
the  appearance  of  an  emulsion,  and  is  then  found  to  possess  but 
very  little  energy  when  injected  hypodermically.  But  this  rela- 
tive inocuity  is  due  to  a  simple  diminution  of  absorption,  and 
not  to  a  destruction  of  the  strychnia  by  the  carbolic  acid,  because, 
by  removing  the  latter  by  agitation  with  ether,  the  solution  be- 
comes as  limpid  and  poisonous  as  at  first. 
If  this  emulsion  is  filtered  with  care,  and  the  filtrate  treated 
with  ether,  it  has  no  poisonous  property  ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
part  resting  on  the  filter  being  suspended  in  water,  and  deprived 
of  carbolic  acid  by  ether,  yields  the  strychnia  first  employed. 
The  carbolic  acid,  therefore,  possesses  the  property  of  suspending 
the  salt  of  strychnia,  and  singularly  facilitates  its  separation. 
M.  Bert  has  not  experimented  on  extract  of  nux  vomica,  but 
from  what  he  has  observed  in  regard  to  curara  he  thinks  that  the 
separation  may  be  effected  in  the  same  manner,  and  that  per- 
haps the  process  may  have  use  in  manufacturing.  The  author  is 
also  assured  that  strychnia  can  be  also  easily  extracted  from 
putrefying  animal  matter  by  the  same  means,  so  as  to  be  useful 
in  medico-legal  medicine. — Jour,  de  Pharm.,  Jan  v.,  1867. 
