268 
PREPARATIONS  OF  CONIUM  MACULATUM,  ETC. 
obtained  about  two  ounces  of  colorless  spirit  rendered  turbid  by 
a  little  greyish  feculent  matter.  On  examining  this  fluid,  I 
found  that  it  contained  minute  spherules  of  a  colorless  fixed  oil. 
After  exposure  to  the  light  for  a  few  days  the  oil  assumed  a 
bright  sap-green  color.  The  whole  was  evaporated  to  dryness 
over  a  water-bath,  and  the  oil  separated  from  a  minute  portion 
of  brown  residue,  by  means  of  ether.  This  fixed  oil  was  of  an 
emerald-green  color,  and  possessed  an  odor  resembling  that  of 
boiled  linseed  oil,  and  a  nauseous  rancid  and  bitter  taste.  It 
weighed  2  grains.  I  applied  to  the  eye,  and  swallowed  a  drop 
of  it  without  any  result.  Its  specific  gravity  was  less  than  that 
of  proof  spirit  (0-920). 
The  following  are  the  characters  of  the  tincture : — Reaction 
slightly  acid,  color  light  greenish-brown  with  an  internal  opal- 
escence, a  strong  mousy  odor.  A  mixture  of  f  3ss  of  the  tinc- 
ture and  f  of  water  was  nearly  colorless,  but  after  exposure 
to  light  and  air  for  twenty-four  hours,  it  had  assumed  a  leaf- 
green  color.  This  change  is  probably  characteristic  and  depend- 
ing upon  a  resinous  matter  allied  to  the  green  oil  above  de- 
scribed. It  is  no  doubt  one  of  a  similar  nature  to  that  which 
affects  guaiacum  resin,  but  unlike  this  substance,  neither  "the 
tincture  nor  the  oil  were  rendered  blue  on  exposure  to  protoxide 
of  nitrogen. 
In  order  to  ascertain  the  physiological  effects  of  the  tincture, 
I  selected  two  individuals, — a  weakly  emaciated  woman,  M.  A. 
II — h,  aged  thirty-seven,  and  myself. 
I  began,  November  11th,  by  taking  f  gss,  and  increased  the 
dose  f  3ss  each  day  for  seven  succeeding  days,  so  that  on  No- 
vember 18th  I  took  f  3iv,  on  the  19th  I  took  f  gv,  and  on  the 
20th  f  3vj.  On  the  21st  I  was  called  out  of  town,  and  was  thus 
obliged  to  intermit  my  experiments  for  a  few  days.  On  the 
28th  of  November  I  began  again  by  taking  f  ^vj.  On  each  of 
the  three  following  days  I  increased  the  dose  by  f  ^ij,  taking 
f  3viij,  f  3x,  and  f  3xij,  on  November  29th,  30th,  and  December 
1st  respectively.  I  did  not  take  any  conium  on  the  2d  of  De- 
cember ;  on  the  3d  I  swallowed  f  gij  in  Mr.  Hemingway's 
presence. 
The  quantities  above  stated  were  taken  in  single  doses,  mixed 
