272 
ON  THE  PURIFICATION  OF  QUINOIDINE. 
The  result  of  these  experiments  goes  far  to  prove  that  the 
tinctura  conii  fructus  recently  introduced  into  our  Pharmacopoeia 
is,  at  least  in  all  proper  medicinal  doses,  an  inert  preparation. 
From  Geiger's  and  Dr.  Christison's  experiments  it  appears  that 
the  fruit  contains  a  larger  quantity  of  conia  than  the  other  parts 
of  the  plant,  but  the  fact  that  the  green  fruits  contain  a  much 
larger  proportion  than  the  dry,  seems  to  have  been  overlooked. 
We  know  that  the  active  principle  of  the  poppy  is  more  abund- 
ant in  the  circulating  juices  of  the  green  fruit  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  plant,  and  that  the  quantity  contained  in  the  fruit 
diminishes  in  proportion  as  it  becomes  hard  and  dry.  It  is  very 
probable  that  this  is  the  case  with  the  conium,  and  that  we  must 
look  for  the  greatest  accumulation  of  its  active  principle  in  the 
green  immature  fruit.  One  question  relative  to  the  tincture  still 
presents  itself,  viz.:  does  alcohol  possess  an  influence  antagonis- 
tic to  that  of  conium,  and,  if  so,  how  great  is  that  influence  ? 
78  Upper  Berkley  Street,  Portman  Square,  W., 
Dec.  14,  1866. 
(To  be  continued.) 
ON  THE  PURIFICATION  OF  QUINOIDINE. 
M.  de  Vry,  in  the  "Journal  de  Pliarmacie  et  de  Chimie" 
says:  "  Commercial  quinoidine  is  never  pure;  M.  de  Vry  has 
proved  it  to  contain  sometimes  as  much  as  30  per  cent,  of  foreign 
matters.  His  purifying  process  is  founded  on  M.  Pasteur's  ob- 
servation that  nine  parts  of  quinoidine  triturated,  and  kneaded 
a  long  time  in  a  mortar  with  a  diluted  solution  of  two  parts  of 
neutral  oxalate  of  ammonia,  and  by  entirely  dissolving,  while 
disengaging  ammonia,  and  abandoning  the  foreign  matters.  But 
while  M.  Pasteur  operated  at  the  ordinary  temperature,  M.  de 
Yry  advises  the  use  of  heat. 
The  following  is  the  process  by  which  he  proposes  to  purify 
quinoidine,  and  consequently  render  it  fit  for  medical  purposes : 
Boil,  in  an  iron  vessel,  nine  parts  of  quinoidine,  with  a  diluted 
solution  of  two  parts  of  neutral  oxalate  of  ammonia,  until  am- 
monia ceases  to  be  disengaged.  As  part  of  the  insoluble  matter 
will  attach  itself  to  the  sides  of  the  vessel  while  boiling,  add 
